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<br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br /> <br />CLIMATE <br /> <br /> <br />Chapter 2 <br /> <br />Description of Basin <br /> <br /> <br />The construction and filling of the main stem <br />reservoirs of the Colorado River Basin (figure 1) <br />have brought about significant changes in the <br />flow patterns of the river, The Colorado River <br />Basin encompasses portions of seven States: <br />Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, <br />Arizona, and California, The river flows over <br />1,400 miles from its headwaters in Wyoming and <br />Colorado, It joins with tributaries from Utah <br />and New Mexico; flows through the Grand <br />Canyon; provides State boundaries for Nevada, <br />Arizona, and California; flows through the <br />Republic of Mexico; and terminates in the Gulf <br />of California, The Colorado River provides <br />municipal and industrial water for more than <br />18 million people and irrigation water to <br />1,7 million acres in the United States, <br /> <br />NV <br /> <br />CA <br /> <br />~~ <br />-"" - ~-- <br />~ <br />\ <br /> <br />Extremes of temperature in the Colorado River <br />Basin range from -50 to 130 degrees F, The <br />northern portion of the Basin is characterized by <br />short, warm summers and long, cold winters; <br />and many mountain areas are blanketed by deep <br />snow all winter, Much ofthe area consists of <br />high basins or valleys with cold winters and hot, <br />dry summers, The southern desert portion of <br />the Basin has long, hot summers, practically <br />continuous sunshine, and almost complete <br />absence of freezing temperatures, Rainfall <br />averages 2,5 inches per year in the southern end <br />ofthe Basin, while total precipitation in the <br />mountains reaches 40 to 60 inches annually, <br /> <br />GREEN RIVER <br /> <br />WY <br /> <br />-,~----,.----L.----.--l <br />COLORADO RIVER j <br /> <br />SAN JUAN R. , <br />---...-----._----' <br />I <br />Navep Dam lUId ReservoIr <br /> <br />UTTlE COIDRADO R. <br /> <br />NM <br /> <br />Figure 1 ,-Map 01 Colorado River Basin, <br />