Dolores River (Colorado)
| Dolores River | |
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| States | Colorado, Utah |
| Tributaries | |
| - right | West Dolores River, San Miguel River (Colorado) |
| Source | San Juan National Forest |
| - location | Montezuma County, Colorado |
| - elevation | 11,650 ft (3,551 m) |
| - coordinates | 37°43′18″N 107°52′47″W / 37.72167°N 107.87972°W |
| Mouth | Colorado River |
| - location | Grand County, Utah |
| - elevation | 4,390 ft (1,338 m) |
| - coordinates | 38°49′00″N 109°16′02″W / 38.81667°N 109.26722°WCoordinates: 38°49′00″N 109°16′02″W / 38.81667°N 109.26722°W |
| Length | 241 mi (388 km) |
| Basin | 4,574 sq mi (11,847 km2) |
| Discharge | for Cisco, UT, about 9 mi (14 km) from the mouth |
| - average | 630 cu ft/s (18 m3/s) |
| - max | 12,900 cu ft/s (365 m3/s) |
| - min | 1.5 cu ft/s (0 m3/s) |
 The Dolores River watershed
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The Dolores River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 241 miles (388 km) 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 Spanish El Rio de Nuestra Señora de Dolores, River of Our Lady of Sorrows. The river was explored and possibly named by Juan Maria Antonio Rivera during an 1765 expedition from Santa Fe.
The mean annual flow of the Dolores prior to damming was approximately 1,200 cu ft/s (34 m3/s), but due to diversions it has been reduced to about 600 cu ft/s (17 m3/s).
The Dolores River rises in a meadow called Tin Can Basin, near 12,520-foot (3,820 m) Hermosa Peak in the San Miguel Mountains, in Dolores County, Colorado. The headwaters are located about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Lizard Head Pass in the San Juan National Forest. The river flows southwest in a canyon past Rico, receiving the West Dolores River, then flows into McPhee Reservoir near Dolores in Montezuma County. Formed by McPhee Dam, the reservoir is about 10 miles (16 km) long and diverts flows of the upper Dolores River for irrigation.
Downstream from McPhee Dam, the river re-enters Dolores County and carves the Dolores River Canyon, which stretches north for over 40 miles (64 km) and averages 1,100 feet (340 m) deep. This section of the Dolores River is noted for its exposed sedimentary strata, desert wildlife, and during years of heavy snowmelt for its whitewater. Near Egnar the river crosses into San Miguel County and then from there into Montrose County.
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Wikipedia