U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
The following alphabetical list includes many important streams that flow through the State of Colorado, including all 158 named rivers. Where available, the total extent of the stream's drainage basin is shown after the name. The names of the 17 Colorado rivers with a drainage basin of more than 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 sq mi), about three times the area of Rhode Island, are shown in bold.
# Adams Fork Conejos River
# Alamosa River 383 km2 (148 mi2)
# Animas River 3,562 km2 (1,375 mi2)
# Apishapa River 2,798 km2 (1,080 mi2)
#
Arikaree River
The Arikaree River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America. It lies mostly in the American state of Colorado, draining land between the North and South Forks of the Republican River, and it flows into the North Fork in Nebraska a ...
Big Dry Creek (Littleton, Colorado)
Big Dry Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 25, 2011 tributary that joins the South Platte River in Englewood, Colorado. The creek's source is in Daniels P ...
#
Big Dry Creek (Westminster, Colorado)
Big Dry Creek is a tributary that joins the South Platte River near Fort Lupton, Colorado. It rises in Jefferson County, Colorado at the mouth of Coal Creek Canyon at an elevation of .
The creek flows through Jefferson, Adams, and Weld countie ...
Big Thompson River
The Big Thompson River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 78 miles (123 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado. Originating in Forest Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park, the river flows into Lake Estes in the town ...
2,149 km2 (830 mi2)
#
Bijou Creek
Bijou Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 25, 2011 tributary of the South Platte River in Colorado. The creek flows northeast from elevated terrain in southe ...
Cache la Poudre River
The Cache la Poudre River ( ), also known as the Poudre River, is a river in the state of Colorado in the United States.
Name
The name of the river () is a corruption of the original Cache à la Poudre, or "cache of powder". It refers to an ...
4,959 km2 (1,915 mi2)
#
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .Cebolla Creek
#
Chalk Creek
Chalk Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 31, 2011 river flowing east from the Collegiate Peaks mountain range in Chaffee County, Colorado. Mount Antero bo ...
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...
(637,137 km2 (246,000 mi2)
#
Conejos River
The Conejos River is a tributary of the Rio Grande, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 31, 2011 in south-central Colorado in the United States. It ...
Cucharas River
Cucharas River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 31, 2011 tributary of the Huerfano River that flows from a source in Huerfano County, Colorado, southwest of ...
#
Culebra Creek
Rio Culebra (also called Culebra River, Río de la Culebra and Culebra Creek) is a river or creek in Costilla County, Colorado. The Rio Culebra rises in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and is long. It empties into the Rio Grande west of the to ...
#
Dolores River
The Dolores River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Colorado and Utah. The river drains a rugged and arid region of the Colorado Plateau west of the San Juan Mountains. Its name derives from the Sp ...
East Fork Cimarron River
East Fork Cimarron River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Cimarron River in Colorado. The river's source is near Wetterhorn Peak in t ...
#
East Fork Eagle River
East Fork Eagle River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Eagle River in Eagle County, Colorado. The river flows from a source on Chic ...
East Fork Rio Chama
East Fork Rio Chama is a tributary of the Rio Chama in southern Colorado. The stream flows south from Dipping Lakes near the continental divide in Conejos County, Colorado to a confluence with the West Fork Rio Chama in Archuleta County, Colorado ...
East River
The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Quee ...
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
#
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
Fountain Creek
Fountain Creek is a stream that originates in Woodland Park in Teller County and flows through El Paso County to its confluence with the Arkansas River near Pueblo in Pueblo County, Colorado. The creek,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydr ...
Green River Green River may refer to:
Rivers
Canada
* Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River
*Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte
*Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
The
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...
originally began at the confluence of the
Green River Green River may refer to:
Rivers
Canada
* Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River
*Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte
*Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. Thus, the namesake river of the State of Colorado did not flow through that state. On July 25, 1921, House Joint Resolution 460 of the 66th United States Congress changed the name of the Grand River to the Colorado River over the objections of the
U.S. Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...
which noted that the drainage basin of the Green River was more than 70% more extensive than that of the Grand River.The
headwaters
The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source.
Definition
The ...
of the
Green River Green River may refer to:
Rivers
Canada
* Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River
*Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte
*Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
are located in the
Wind River Mountains
The Wind River Range (or "Winds" for short) is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW–SE for approximately . The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and incl ...
Gunnison River
The Gunnison River is located in western Colorado, United States and is one of the largest tributaries of the Colorado River.
Description
The river flows east to west and has a drainage area of according to the USGS. The drainage basin of ...
Hermosa Creek
Hermosa Creek is a tributary of the Animas River in San Juan and La Plata counties in Colorado. The creek rises near Hermosa Peak in San Juan County, Colorado and then flows generally south to La Plata County and to its confluence with the Anim ...
Huerfano River
Huerfano River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in Pueblo and Huerfano counties in Colorado, United States.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed March 31, 2011
Descr ...
Lake Fork Gunnison River
Lake Fork Gunnison River or (Lake Fork) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Gunnison River in Colorado. The river's source is Sloan Lake ...
#
Laramie River
The Laramie River is a tributary of the North Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 21, 2011 in the U.S. states of Colorado and Wyoming. ...
Little Beaver Creek
Little Beaver Creek is a wild and scenic area in Ohio. The Little Beaver Creek watershed is located primarily in Columbiana County in eastern Ohio, and in portions of Carroll County, Mahoning County, and western Pennsylvania, draining approxi ...
Little Snake River
The Little Snake River is a tributary of the Yampa River, approximately long, in southwestern Wyoming and northwestern Colorado in the United States.
It rises near the continental divide, in Routt National Forest in northern Routt County, C ...
10,629 km2 (4,104 mi2)
#
Little Thompson River
The Little Thompson River is a tributary of the Big Thompson River and thence the South Platte River in the U.S. state of Colorado.
The river's headwaters lie in the Roosevelt National Forest. It flows east through the foothills of the Rocky Mou ...
#
Lodgepole Creek
Lodgepole Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 25, 2011 in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Nebraska a ...
Los Pinos River
Los Pinos River is a tributary of the San Juan River in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States. The stream flows from a source near Weminuche Pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado to a confluence with the San Juan ...
McElmo Creek
McElmo Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 21, 2011 tributary that joins the San Juan River (Colorado River), San Juan River in San Juan County, Utah. The c ...
Middle Fork Cimarron River
Middle Fork Cimarron River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Cimarron River in Colorado. The river's source is east of Coxcomb Peak in ...
Middle Fork Elk River
Middle Fork Elk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 18, 2011 stream in Colorado. It flows from a confluence of Gilpin Creek and Gold Creek in Routt Nation ...
#
Middle Fork Little Snake River
Middle Fork Little Snake River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Little Snake River in Routt County, Colorado. It flows from a source ...
Middle Fork South Platte River
The Middle Fork South Platte River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 25, 2011 located in central Colora ...
Navajo River
Navajo River ( apj, Lóolahó) is a tributary of the San Juan River. It flows from a source in the South San Juan Wilderness of Conejos County, Colorado southwest past Chromo, Colorado. The river dips into New Mexico, passing just north of Dul ...
North Fork Big Thompson River
The North Fork Big Thompson River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 25, 2011 tributary of the Big Thompson River in Larimer County, Colorado. The river's source i ...
North Fork Cimarron River
North Fork Cimarron River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 31, 2011 tributary of the Cimarron River that flows from a source in Comanche National Grassland in B ...
North Fork Elk River
North Fork Elk River, or North Fork Elk Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Elk River in Routt County, Colorado. It flows from a s ...
North Fork Gunnison River
The North Fork Gunnison River (locally known as the North Fork) is a tributary of the Gunnison River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 18, 2011 in southwestern ...
North Fork Republican River
The North Fork Republican River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 29, 2011 tributary of the Republican River. It flows eastward from a source in Yuma County, Colo ...
North Fork Smoky Hill River
The North Fork Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America. A tributary of the Smoky Hill River, it flows from eastern Colorado into western Kansas.
Geography
The North Fork Smoky Hill River rises in the High Plains re ...
North Fork South Platte River
The North Fork South Platte River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 50 miles (80 km) long, in central Colorado in the United States. The river is located near the headwaters of the South Platte in the Rocky Mountains so ...
North Platte River
The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long, counting its many curves.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 21, 2011 In a ...
80,755 km2 (31,180 mi2)
#
North Saint Charles River
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
Piceance Creek
Piceance Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the White River in Garfield and Rio Blanco counties in Colorado, United States. The nam ...
Purgatoire River
The Purgatoire River ( es, Río Purgatorio) is a river in southeastern Colorado, United States. The river is also known locally as the Purgatory River or the Picketwire River. ''Purgatoire'' means Purgatory in French. French trappers named the ri ...
Rio Chama
The Rio Chama, a major tributary river of the Rio Grande, is located in the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico. The river is about long altogether. From its source to El Vado Dam its length is about , from El Vado Dam to Abiquiu Dam is abou ...
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
Rio San Antonio
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
#
Roan Creek
Roan Creek is a tributary of the Watauga River that rises near the border between the U.S. states of Tennessee and North Carolina. Its source is located along the slopes of Snake Mountain near Trade in Johnson County, Tennessee. From its source, ...
Roaring Fork River
Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in west central Colorado in the United States. The river drains a populated and economically vital area of the Colorado Western Slope called the Roaring Fork Valley or ...
Saguache Creek
Saguache Creek The place name "Saguache" is pronounced . This name derives from the Ute language noun "''sawup''" meaning "sand dunes". The Spanish language version of this name is usually spelled "Saguache", while the English language version ...
Sand Arroyo Creek
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
Sangre de Cristo Creek
Sangre de Cristo Creek is a stream in Costilla County, Colorado. It starts atop La Veta Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The creek flows alongside Highway 160 as it descends from the top of the pass into the San Luis Valley.
The creek's ...
Smoky Hill River
The Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, running through Colorado and Kansas.Smoky Hill River. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.br ...
South Fork Eagle River
South Fork Eagle River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Eagle River in Eagle County, Colorado. The river flows from a source east of ...
South Fork South Platte River
The South Fork South Platte River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 25, 2011 in central Colorado in the ...
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/ Mountain West. It ...
62,738 km2 (24,223 mi2)
#
Spring Creek
A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring creek may additionally b ...
Tarryall Creek
Tarryall Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 25, 2011 in Park County in central Colorado in the Uni ...
Trinchera Creek
Trinchera Creek is a tributary of the Rio Grande in Costilla County, Colorado in the United States. It flows west from a source in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to a confluence with the Rio Grande.
It is spanned by the San Luis Southern Railway ...
Uncompahgre River
The Uncompahgre River is a tributary of the Gunnison River, approximately 75 mi (121 km) long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. Lake Como at 12,215 ft (3723m) in northern San Juan County, in the Uncompahgre National ...
West Fork Cimarron River
West Fork Cimarron River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Cimarron River (Gunnison River), Cimarron River in Colorado. The river's sour ...
West Fork Rio Chama
West Fork Rio Chama is a tributary of the Rio Chama in southern Colorado. The stream flows southeast from a source near the continental divide to a confluence with the East Fork Rio Chama in Archuleta County that forms the Rio Chama.
See also
* ...
#
West Fork San Juan River
West Fork San Juan River is a tributary of the San Juan River in Minerala and Archuleta counties in Colorado, United States. The stream flows from a source near South River Peak in Mineral County to a confluence with the East Fork San Jua ...
Yampa River
The Yampa River flows through northwestern Colorado in the United States. Rising in the Rocky Mountains, it is a tributary of the Green River and a major part of the Colorado River system. The Yampa is one of the few free-flowing rivers in the ...
21,506 km2 (8,304 mi2)
# Yellow Creek 760 km2 (293 mi2)
Green River Green River may refer to:
Rivers
Canada
* Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River
*Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte
*Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
U.S. Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal govern ...
had identified 5,564 natural streams in the State of Colorado. Of this number, 147 larger streams (2.6%) were named '' river'' and 11 (0.2%) were named ''rio''. The vast majority of the Colorado streams (5082 or 91.3%) were named '' creek''. Of the remaining Colorado streams, 122 (2.2%) were named '' arroyo'', 60 (1.1%) were named ''
wash
WASH (or Watsan, WaSH) is an acronym that stands for "water, sanitation and hygiene". It is used widely by non-governmental organizations and aid agencies in developing countries. The purposes of providing access to WASH services include achievi ...
'', 44 (0.8%) were named ''
fork
In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork (from la, furca 'pitchfork') is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tine (structural), tines with which one ...
'', 18 (0.3%) were named ''
branch
A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term ''twig'' usually ...
'', 17 (0.3%) were named ''
brook
A brook is a small river or natural stream of fresh water. It may also refer to:
Computing
*Brook, a programming language for GPU programming based on C
*Brook+, an explicit data-parallel C compiler
*BrookGPU, a framework for GPGPU programming ...
'', 17 (0.3%) were named '' run'', 15 (0.3%) were named '' rito'', 10 (0.2%) were named '' slough'', but not a single stream was named '' stream''. Perhaps the strangest stream name in Colorado belongs to the West Fork East Fork Williams Fork located in Garfield County.
Many streams in Colorado share a name with another stream in that state. In addition to the
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .North Platte River
The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long, counting its many curves.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 21, 2011 In a ...
Gunnison River
The Gunnison River is located in western Colorado, United States and is one of the largest tributaries of the Colorado River.
Description
The river flows east to west and has a drainage area of according to the USGS. The drainage basin of ...
. There is a
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
that is a tributary of the
Big Thompson River
The Big Thompson River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 78 miles (123 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado. Originating in Forest Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park, the river flows into Lake Estes in the town ...
as well as a
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
that is a tributary of Clear Creek.
There are 72 streams in the State of Colorado that are named ''Willow Creek'', 71 streams named ''Spring Creek'', 53 streams named ''Cottonwood Creek'', 49 streams named ''Bear Creek'', 49 streams named ''Beaver Creek'', 48 streams named ''Dry Creek'', 33 streams named ''Rock Creek'', 33 streams named ''Sand Creek'', and 32 streams named ''Mill Creek''. The Arkansas River and the
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...
Montana Creek
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia ...
, two ''New York Creek''s, two ''Ohio Creek''s, two ''Pennsylvania Creek''s, two ''Tennessee Creek''s, seven ''Texas Creek''s, and a Virginia Creek.
Tributary chart
The following tributary chart shows many important streams that flow through the State of Colorado including all 158 named rivers. The chart is arranged by
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
and area of the drainage basin. The names of the 17 Colorado rivers with a drainage basin of more than 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 sq mi) are shown in bold. Oceans and streams outside of Colorado are shown in ''italics''.
''Pacific Ocean''
#''
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja C ...
''
##
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...
###
Green River Green River may refer to:
Rivers
Canada
* Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River
*Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte
*Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
####
Yampa River
The Yampa River flows through northwestern Colorado in the United States. Rising in the Rocky Mountains, it is a tributary of the Green River and a major part of the Colorado River system. The Yampa is one of the few free-flowing rivers in the ...
21,506 km2 (8,304 mi2)
#####
Little Snake River
The Little Snake River is a tributary of the Yampa River, approximately long, in southwestern Wyoming and northwestern Colorado in the United States.
It rises near the continental divide, in Routt National Forest in northern Routt County, C ...
Middle Fork Little Snake River
Middle Fork Little Snake River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Little Snake River in Routt County, Colorado. It flows from a source ...
Middle Fork Elk River
Middle Fork Elk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 18, 2011 stream in Colorado. It flows from a confluence of Gilpin Creek and Gold Creek in Routt Nation ...
######
North Fork Elk River
North Fork Elk River, or North Fork Elk Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Elk River in Routt County, Colorado. It flows from a s ...
Piceance Creek
Piceance Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the White River in Garfield and Rio Blanco counties in Colorado, United States. The nam ...
Gunnison River
The Gunnison River is located in western Colorado, United States and is one of the largest tributaries of the Colorado River.
Description
The river flows east to west and has a drainage area of according to the USGS. The drainage basin of ...
20,851 km2 (8,051 mi2)
#####
Uncompahgre River
The Uncompahgre River is a tributary of the Gunnison River, approximately 75 mi (121 km) long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. Lake Como at 12,215 ft (3723m) in northern San Juan County, in the Uncompahgre National ...
North Fork Gunnison River
The North Fork Gunnison River (locally known as the North Fork) is a tributary of the Gunnison River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 18, 2011 in southwestern ...
Lake Fork Gunnison River
Lake Fork Gunnison River or (Lake Fork) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Gunnison River in Colorado. The river's source is Sloan Lake ...
East River
The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Quee ...
East Fork Cimarron River
East Fork Cimarron River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Cimarron River in Colorado. The river's source is near Wetterhorn Peak in t ...
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Middle Fork Cimarron River
Middle Fork Cimarron River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Cimarron River in Colorado. The river's source is east of Coxcomb Peak in ...
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West Fork Cimarron River
West Fork Cimarron River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Cimarron River (Gunnison River), Cimarron River in Colorado. The river's sour ...
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Dolores River
The Dolores River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Colorado and Utah. The river drains a rugged and arid region of the Colorado Plateau west of the San Juan Mountains. Its name derives from the Sp ...
Roaring Fork River
Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in west central Colorado in the United States. The river drains a populated and economically vital area of the Colorado Western Slope called the Roaring Fork Valley or ...
East Fork Eagle River
East Fork Eagle River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Eagle River in Eagle County, Colorado. The river flows from a source on Chic ...
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South Fork Eagle River
South Fork Eagle River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 18, 2011 tributary of the Eagle River in Eagle County, Colorado. The river flows from a source east of ...
Roan Creek
Roan Creek is a tributary of the Watauga River that rises near the border between the U.S. states of Tennessee and North Carolina. Its source is located along the slopes of Snake Mountain near Trade in Johnson County, Tennessee. From its source, ...
Hermosa Creek
Hermosa Creek is a tributary of the Animas River in San Juan and La Plata counties in Colorado. The creek rises near Hermosa Peak in San Juan County, Colorado and then flows generally south to La Plata County and to its confluence with the Anim ...
McElmo Creek
McElmo Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 21, 2011 tributary that joins the San Juan River (Colorado River), San Juan River in San Juan County, Utah. The c ...
Navajo River
Navajo River ( apj, Lóolahó) is a tributary of the San Juan River. It flows from a source in the South San Juan Wilderness of Conejos County, Colorado southwest past Chromo, Colorado. The river dips into New Mexico, passing just north of Dul ...
Los Pinos River
Los Pinos River is a tributary of the San Juan River in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States. The stream flows from a source near Weminuche Pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado to a confluence with the San Juan ...
West Fork San Juan River
West Fork San Juan River is a tributary of the San Juan River in Minerala and Archuleta counties in Colorado, United States. The stream flows from a source near South River Peak in Mineral County to a confluence with the East Fork San Jua ...
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
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Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...
Platte River
The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itsel ...
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North Platte River
The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long, counting its many curves.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 21, 2011 In a ...
80,755 km2 (31,180 mi2)
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Laramie River
The Laramie River is a tributary of the North Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 21, 2011 in the U.S. states of Colorado and Wyoming. ...
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/ Mountain West. It ...
62,738 km2 (24,223 mi2)
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Lodgepole Creek
Lodgepole Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 25, 2011 in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Nebraska a ...
8,374 km2 (3,233 mi2)
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Cache la Poudre River
The Cache la Poudre River ( ), also known as the Poudre River, is a river in the state of Colorado in the United States.
Name
The name of the river () is a corruption of the original Cache à la Poudre, or "cache of powder". It refers to an ...
Spring Creek
A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring creek may additionally b ...
Bijou Creek
Bijou Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 25, 2011 tributary of the South Platte River in Colorado. The creek flows northeast from elevated terrain in southe ...
Big Thompson River
The Big Thompson River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 78 miles (123 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado. Originating in Forest Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park, the river flows into Lake Estes in the town ...
2,149 km2 (830 mi2)
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Little Thompson River
The Little Thompson River is a tributary of the Big Thompson River and thence the South Platte River in the U.S. state of Colorado.
The river's headwaters lie in the Roosevelt National Forest. It flows east through the foothills of the Rocky Mou ...
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
North Fork Big Thompson River
The North Fork Big Thompson River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 25, 2011 tributary of the Big Thompson River in Larimer County, Colorado. The river's source i ...
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
North Fork South Platte River
The North Fork South Platte River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 50 miles (80 km) long, in central Colorado in the United States. The river is located near the headwaters of the South Platte in the Rocky Mountains so ...
Middle Fork South Platte River
The Middle Fork South Platte River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 25, 2011 located in central Colora ...
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South Fork South Platte River
The South Fork South Platte River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 25, 2011 in central Colorado in the ...
Tarryall Creek
Tarryall Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 25, 2011 in Park County in central Colorado in the Uni ...
Big Dry Creek (Littleton, Colorado)
Big Dry Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 25, 2011 tributary that joins the South Platte River in Englewood, Colorado. The creek's source is in Daniels P ...
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Big Dry Creek (Westminster, Colorado)
Big Dry Creek is a tributary that joins the South Platte River near Fort Lupton, Colorado. It rises in Jefferson County, Colorado at the mouth of Coal Creek Canyon at an elevation of .
The creek flows through Jefferson, Adams, and Weld countie ...
Kansas River
The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwesternmost part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwesternmost portion of the extensive Mississippi River dr ...
North Fork Republican River
The North Fork Republican River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 29, 2011 tributary of the Republican River. It flows eastward from a source in Yuma County, Colo ...
13,172 km2 (5,086 mi2)
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Arikaree River
The Arikaree River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America. It lies mostly in the American state of Colorado, draining land between the North and South Forks of the Republican River, and it flows into the North Fork in Nebraska a ...
Sappa Creek
Sappa Creek is a stream in the central Great Plains of North America. A tributary of the Republican River, it flows for through the American states of Kansas and Nebraska.
Geography
Sappa Creek originates in the High Plains of northwest Kansas ...
Little Beaver Creek
Little Beaver Creek is a wild and scenic area in Ohio. The Little Beaver Creek watershed is located primarily in Columbiana County in eastern Ohio, and in portions of Carroll County, Mahoning County, and western Pennsylvania, draining approxi ...
Smoky Hill River
The Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, running through Colorado and Kansas.Smoky Hill River. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.br ...
51,783 km2 (19,994 mi2)
###### Ladder Creek 3,645 km2 (1,407 mi2)
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North Fork Smoky Hill River
The North Fork Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America. A tributary of the Smoky Hill River, it flows from eastern Colorado into western Kansas.
Geography
The North Fork Smoky Hill River rises in the High Plains re ...
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .Vermejo River''
###### North Fork Vermejo River
#### Cimarron River 44,890 km2 (17,332 mi2)
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North Fork Cimarron River
North Fork Cimarron River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 31, 2011 tributary of the Cimarron River that flows from a source in Comanche National Grassland in B ...
4,462 km2 (1,723 mi2)
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Sand Arroyo Creek
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
1,938 km2 (748 mi2)
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Purgatoire River
The Purgatoire River ( es, Río Purgatorio) is a river in southeastern Colorado, United States. The river is also known locally as the Purgatory River or the Picketwire River. ''Purgatoire'' means Purgatory in French. French trappers named the ri ...
Huerfano River
Huerfano River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in Pueblo and Huerfano counties in Colorado, United States.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed March 31, 2011
Descr ...
4,840 km2 (1,869 mi2)
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Cucharas River
Cucharas River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 31, 2011 tributary of the Huerfano River that flows from a source in Huerfano County, Colorado, southwest of ...
Fountain Creek
Fountain Creek is a stream that originates in Woodland Park in Teller County and flows through El Paso County to its confluence with the Arkansas River near Pueblo in Pueblo County, Colorado. The creek,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydr ...
North Saint Charles River
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
Chalk Creek
Chalk Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 31, 2011 river flowing east from the Collegiate Peaks mountain range in Chaffee County, Colorado. Mount Antero bo ...
endorheic basin
An endorheic basin (; also spelled endoreic basin or endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans, but drainage converges instead into lakes ...
endorheic basin
An endorheic basin (; also spelled endoreic basin or endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans, but drainage converges instead into lakes ...
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
457,275 km2 (176,555 mi2)
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Rio Chama
The Rio Chama, a major tributary river of the Rio Grande, is located in the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico. The river is about long altogether. From its source to El Vado Dam its length is about , from El Vado Dam to Abiquiu Dam is abou ...
East Fork Rio Chama
East Fork Rio Chama is a tributary of the Rio Chama in southern Colorado. The stream flows south from Dipping Lakes near the continental divide in Conejos County, Colorado to a confluence with the West Fork Rio Chama in Archuleta County, Colorado ...
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West Fork Rio Chama
West Fork Rio Chama is a tributary of the Rio Chama in southern Colorado. The stream flows southeast from a source near the continental divide to a confluence with the East Fork Rio Chama in Archuleta County that forms the Rio Chama.
See also
* ...
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Conejos River
The Conejos River is a tributary of the Rio Grande, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 31, 2011 in south-central Colorado in the United States. It ...
2,078 km2 (802 mi2)
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Rio San Antonio
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
Trinchera Creek
Trinchera Creek is a tributary of the Rio Grande in Costilla County, Colorado in the United States. It flows west from a source in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to a confluence with the Rio Grande.
It is spanned by the San Luis Southern Railway ...
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Sangre de Cristo Creek
Sangre de Cristo Creek is a stream in Costilla County, Colorado. It starts atop La Veta Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The creek flows alongside Highway 160 as it descends from the top of the pass into the San Luis Valley.
The creek's ...
endorheic basin
An endorheic basin (; also spelled endoreic basin or endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans, but drainage converges instead into lakes ...
Saguache Creek
Saguache Creek The place name "Saguache" is pronounced . This name derives from the Ute language noun "''sawup''" meaning "sand dunes". The Spanish language version of this name is usually spelled "Saguache", while the English language version ...
3,482 km2 (1,345 mi2)
See also
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Hydrology
Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is calle ...
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
Geography of Colorado
The geography of the U.S. State of Colorado is diverse, encompassing both rugged mountainous terrain, vast plains, desert lands, desert canyons, and mesas. Colorado is a landlocked U.S. state. In 1861, the United States Congress defined the ...
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Waterfalls of Colorado
This is a list of waterfalls in the U.S. State of Colorado.
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Waterfalls of Colorado
The following list includes all 81 waterfalls in Colorado that have official names according to the United States Geological Survey. There are also nume ...