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<br /> <br />>.. <br />t~: <br />(.', <br />c..' <br /> <br />PART II. DESCRIPTION OF BASIN <br /> <br />The Colorado Rjv~r Basin encompasses portions 01 seven stares: Vyoming, <br />Utah, Colorado. Nevada, Ne.... Mexico. Arlzona. illHt Califolnia. The ,-jver flo\Js <br />over l,l.OO miles from its headvaters in t,,'yoming alld CO]OCo'Ioo. It joins ....ith <br />tributarif>s from Utah and NeIJ Mexico; fIov!> through the r.rand l'i'lnynn; provirlps <br />state boundaries for Nevada. Ali7011il, ,HId Califotllia: flm.rs through tbe <br />Republic of Mexico; and terminates in the r.ulf of Californi.1.. The Colorarlo <br />River provides mllnicipi'tl and industrii'll ;.;ater for over lR million people and <br />irrigation vater to 1.7 million acres in the United Stares. <br /> <br />A. Climate <br /> <br />Extremes of tempe,-alure in the Colorado River Bilsin r.wge from -50 to l.~O <br />der:rees F. The tlOrthell1 portioll of t/lP Basin is chal<tcteri7erl by short. Valm <br />summels and long, cold v!ntE'l"sj and milny mountain areas ar~ ldil.lIketed by deep <br />snow all winter. M(ICh of the area consists of Iligh hasins Ot valleys with <br />cold '...inters ami hot. dry slImmers. The southern deselt portion of the B<l.sin <br />has long. hot summers. pl-artically contilltlou<: sunshine, ;"lnd almost complete <br />absence of freezing tenlperilttlres. Rainfall ,lVelaRes 2.5 inches per- year in <br />the southern end of the Basin I.'hile total precipi rat ion in the mountilins <br />reaches 40 to 60 inches annually. <br /> <br />B. fu'drology <br /> <br />The COlorilrlo River begin<; ''''hE''f'e ppaks rise more than 1I.,nno fpet in the <br />north....est portion of Rocky Mountain Nal_iollaI r<lrk ill COIOI,lflo. 70 milp.<; <br />nonln/est of Denver. It meanders South....est for 640 miles tlllough the Upper <br />Basin to Lee Ferry. <br /> <br />The Gr"een River. the maj(lr tributary ot the Colorado River. rises in <br />wester-n Vyoming find dis{'halges into the river in srHlthE><l.stern UT<l.h--7JO rivel <br />miles south of its origin and 2:'n miles <lbove Lee Ferry. Th~ r.reen River' <br />drains 70 percent more <'lr'ea th<lll the Colorado River <tbo\"e their jllnct ion but <br />produces only about three" fOlll ths as much '..,ter. The Gunnison and San JUi'm <br />Rivers are the other principal tt ibutaries of the Colorado RivPI' in the Uppel" <br />Basin. <br /> <br />The Colorado River Basin has a tarill .:lrea of i1pproximately :'1,4,000 ."quare <br />miles. carrying ,1n aVen~ge allnuill virgin tlo\J of 11 to 15 miJliorl .1rle-ff'f't at <br />Lee Ferry. Of this flol.'. mOtE' than 5 million aCle-feer pPr Yl;-';H ~re exportE'rl <br />to the Arkansas and Missouri River B~sins. the Gleat Basin, SOuthern <br />California. and the Rio Grande Basin. <br /> <br />The Colorarlo River Basin is an <It id 01 semiarid ha<;in. Compared to <br />other"s. sllch as tbe Columbia Basin ....hich dtilins <l)1proximatply the same are<l. <br />it carries a smaller t !cll.'. as shol.'n in the follo....ing lahlf'. Vhi If> the <br />Colorado River' is one at the :niljor dr<linilge basin<:: in the COIl! illPnr<l} Uni ted <br />States, its I'unoff is alJout eqlldl to that of tbe Dela\Jale RivE'1 ....hich drains a <br />much smaller- area. <br /> <br />II! <br />