FLOOD10348

• County: Statewide
• Stream Name: Colorado River
• Title: Floodplain Information Report, Volume 4, Colorado River from Rifle to Utah Stateline
• Date: 5/1/1995
• Prepared For: Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colo
• Prepared By: CWCB
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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2.0 STUDY AREA

2.1 Location

The study reach of the Colorado River mainstem includes the entire reach that was designated
as "critical habitat" for the endangered fish species. Although portions of the Colorado watershed
are located in several other Colorado counties, the entire study reach lies in Mesa and Garfield
Counties in west-central Colorado. (see Figure 2)

2.2 Study Reach

The focus of this study on the Colorado River mainstem is from the Highway 13 bridge at Rifle,
Colorado (approximately 93 miles upstream of the Utah stateline) downstream to the stateline.
At the upstream limit of the study the stream elevation is approximately 5300 feet and at the
downstream limit of the study the stream elevation is approximately 4330 feet. The study reach
contains four USGS gages. One is located upstream of DeBeque, one is upstream of Cameo, one
is at Palisade, and one is located upstream of the Utah state line. There is also a gage at
Glenwood Springs, approximately 25 miles above the upstream study limit. Tributary gages are
located on Plateau Creek near the confluence with the Colorado River and on the Gunnison River
at Whitewater, Colorado. Information for the four gages within the study reach, the gage at
Glenwood Springs, and the gages on tributary streams is listed in Table 1.

TABLE 1
GAGE DATA

09085100
393338,1071759

09093700
392145,1080907

09095500
391420,1081600

09106150
390555,1082116

09163500
390745,1090136

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GLENWOOD SPGS 29
(2 MI E)

DEBEQUE (3.8 MI 29
NE)

CAMEO (7 MI NE) 62

6013

7370

8050

PALISADE (.25 MI 5.
S)

UTAH STATE 44
LINE (1.5 MI U/S)

8753

17843

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