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5. Descriptin Information 5.1 General Characteristics. The Dolores River basin is located in southwest Colorado. The river flows southwest out of the San Juan Mountains, an extension of the Rocky Mountains. Downstream of the city of Dolores, the Dolores River, joined by its major tributary. the San Miguel River, flows north through the Colorado Plateau and then into the Colorado River at a point west of the Utah-Colorado state line. The Colorado Plateau extends across the Four Corners area of southeast Utah, southwest Colorado, northeast Arizona and northwest New Mexico. The San Miguel River is the major tributal)' to the Dolores River downstream of Dolores. See Plate 2 for basin topography. The Dolores River watershed above McPhee Reservoir is about 40 miles long with a maximum width of30 miles. The upper Dolores River is fomlt:d by the confluence of its two forks, the upper mainstem and the West Dolores River, The headwaters of the upper mainstem Dolores River arc above 12,000 feet on Sliderock Ridge, northeast of the city of Dolores, and west of the Animas River headwaters (tributal)' to the San Juan River), and south of the San Miguel River headwaters (tributal)' to 100...er Dolores River), The upper mainstem Dolores River nows through the mountain community of Rico (elevation approximately 8.800 feet) in Dolores County before entering Montezuma County. Bear Creek. the major tributary to the upper mainstem Dolores Fiver. nows northwest out of the La Plata Mountains to join the upper mainstem Dolores River about halfway between the Montezuma County line and the confluence with the West Dolores River. Bear Creek can contribute large flows to the Dolores basin during rainstorm. events as well as during the snowmelt season. Roaring Forks and Stoner creeks are two other upper mainstem Dolores River tributaries. The West Dolores River flows out of the east~ west-oriented San Miguel Range of the San Juan Mountains. 5