The Colorado River's Journey Through 7 US States and 2 Mexican States
The Colorado River flows 1,450 miles (2,330 km) from the Rockies to the Gulf of California, draining 246,000 sq mi.
U.S. States (7)
- Colorado — Headwaters in Rocky Mountain NP (La Poudre Pass, 10,184 ft). Flows SW through Glenwood Canyon, Grand Junction.
- Utah — Enters near Moab; carves Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point, Glen Canyon (Lake Powell).
- Arizona — Lees Ferry (Mile 0 for Grand Canyon), through Grand Canyon (277 mi), Lake Mead (Hoover Dam). Forms AZ/NV border.
- Nevada — Lake Mead shoreline only (river channel is AZ border). Las Vegas gets 90% water from here.
- California — Border with AZ (Lake Havasu, Parker Dam, Imperial Dam). Diverted to All-American Canal (Imperial Valley), Coachella Canal, MWD (SoCal cities).
- Wyoming — Green River (major tributary) rises in Wind River Range, WY. Joins Colorado in Canyonlands, UT. WY contributes ~10% flow.
- New Mexico — San Juan River (major tributary) rises in San Juan Mts, CO/NM. Joins Colorado in Lake Powell. NM uses San Juan-Chama Project for Albuquerque.
Mexican States (2)
- Sonora — River forms border with Baja California; flows through Sonoran Desert. Ciudad Obregón, Hermosillo use tributaries (Yaqui, Mayo).
- Baja California — River ends (historically) in Gulf of California at Colorado River Delta. Now rarely reaches sea — Morelos Dam diverts last drops to Mexicali Valley agriculture and Tijuana aqueduct.
Key Infrastructure
- 15 major dams (Hoover, Glen Canyon, Davis, Parker, Imperial, Morelos).
- All-American Canal (80 mi) — largest irrigation canal, serves Imperial Valley.
- Colorado River Aqueduct (242 mi) — MWD to LA/San Diego.
- Central Arizona Project (336 mi) — CAP to Phoenix/Tucson.
Crisis
Over-allocation (1922 Compact = 16.5 MAF/yr; actual ~12–14 MAF), 23-year megadrought, climate change → Lake Mead/Powell at ~35% capacity (2024). Tier 1/2 shortages triggered. Renegotiation post-2026 underway.
The Colorado: lifeline for 40M people, 5.5M acres agriculture, 7 states, 2 nations — running dry.
Wanderlust World