The Colorado River
Facts
| Country | USA |
| States it flows through | Colorado, Utah and Arizona |
| Length | 2320 kilometres |
| Number of tributaries | About 5 |
| Source | Rocky Mountains |
| Mouth | Gulf of California |
Location
The source of the Colorado river is high in the Rocky mountains. Melting snow from glaciers keeps the river flowing across the desert areas lower down in its course. Half way down the Colorado river, it enters many gorges. The most famous gorge it enters is the Grand Canyon (2 kilometres deep and 29 kilometres wide). The Colorado river has also created some spectacular meanders in these gorges, the most famous one being Horseshoe Bend. The Colorado river travels mainly through a desert landscape when it leaves the Grand Canyon. Its mouth is in the Gulf of California. The river is sometimes a red colour and this is made by the red colour of the sediment which it erodes.
Dams across the Colorado River
The Colorado river used to flood occasionally and other years it would dry up completely. The American government built several dams across the river so that they could control its flow better and stop it from flooding. The Boulder Dam and the Hoover Dam are two dams built across the river. These dams also make hydroelectricity.
The Hoover Dam