This is a list of drainage basins in the U.S. State of Colorado.
Colorado encompasses the headwaters of several important rivers. The state is divided into two major hydrographic regions by the Continental Divide of the Americas. East of the Continental Divide, surface waters flow to the Gulf of Mexico, either via the Rio Grande or via one of several rivers (the South Platte River, the North Platte River, the Republican River, the Arkansas River, the Cimarron River, or the Canadian River) which eventually feed the Mississippi River along the way. West of the Continental Divide, surface waters flow via the Green River, the upper Colorado River (formerly the Grand River), or the San Juan River into the Colorado River and on to the Gulf of California.
Colorado also has three significant endorheic basins: the San Luis Closed Basin in the San Luis Valley, and the Bear Creek Basin and the White Woman Basin spanning the Colorado-Kansas border north and south of the Arkansas River. __TOC__
List of major drainage basins
+Major Drainage Basins of the State of ColoradoBasinOutletTotal AreaIn-State Area% In-StateColorado RiverGulf of California001703,132 km2271,481 mi2001100,195 km238,686 mi2A06414.2%Arkansas RiverMississippi River002478,501 km2184,750 mi200270,022 km227,036 mi2A06314.6%Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte)Gulf of Mexico003457,275 km2176,555 mi200912,070 km24,660 mi2A0722.6%Canadian RiverArkansas River004122,701 km247,375 mi2073154 km259 mi2A0730.1%Green RiverColorado River005115,903 km244,750 mi200527,340 km210,556 mi2A05923.6%North Platte RiverPlatte River00680,755 km231,180 mi20185,129 km21,980 mi2A0686.4%upper Colorado River (Grand River)Colorado River00767,993 km226,252 mi200357,680 km222,270 mi2A03884.8%San Juan RiverColorado River00864,560 km224,927 mi200815,175 km25,859 mi2A06023.5%South Platte RiverPlatte River00962,738 km224,223 mi200448,948 km218,899 mi2A04078.0%Smoky Hill RiverKansas River01051,783 km219,994 mi20402,493 km2963 mi2A0704.8%Cimarron RiverArkansas River01144,890 km217,332 mi20165,481 km22,116 mi2A06612.2%Yampa RiverGreen River01221,506 km28,304 mi200715,289 km25,903 mi2A04371.1%Gunnison Riverupper Colorado River (Grand River)01320,851 km28,051 mi200620,851 km28,051 mi2A001100%North Fork Republican RiverRepublican River01413,172 km25,086 mi201011,522 km24,449 mi2A03787.5%White RiverGreen River01512,989 km25,015 mi20129,796 km23,782 mi2A04275.4%Dolores Riverupper Colorado River (Grand River)01611,998 km24,633 mi201110,619 km24,100 mi2A03688.5%Laramie RiverNorth Platte River01711,961 km24,618 mi2061989 km2382 mi2A0678.3%Little Snake RiverYampa River01810,629 km24,104 mi20224,412 km21,704 mi2A05241.5%Purgatoire RiverArkansas River0198,923 km23,445 mi20138,601 km23,321 mi2A03196.4%Lodgepole CreekSouth Platte River0208,374 km23,233 mi2069496 km2191 mi2A0695.9%Rio ChamaRio Grande0218,204 km23,168 mi2071238 km292 mi2A0712.9%San Luis Closed Basinendorheic basin0227,638 km22,949 mi20147,638 km22,949 mi2A002100%Frenchman CreekRepublican River0237,398 km22,856 mi20362,539 km2980 mi2A05334.3%South Fork Republican RiverRepublican River0247,195 km22,778 mi20175,454 km22,106 mi2A04175.8%San Luis CreekSan Luis Closed Basin0257,000 km22,703 mi20157,000 km22,703 mi2A003100%Cache la Poudre RiverSouth Platte River0264,959 km21,915 mi20214,587 km21,771 mi2A03492.5%Bear Creek Basinendorheic basin0274,896 km21,890 mi20372,521 km2973 mi2A04851.5%Huerfano RiverArkansas River0284,840 km21,869 mi20194,840 km21,869 mi2A004100%Big Sandy CreekArkansas River0294,825 km21,863 mi20204,825 km21,863 mi2A005100%Bear CreekBear Creek Basin0304,500 km21,737 mi20392,500 km2965 mi2A04755.6%North Fork Cimarron RiverCimarron River0314,462 km21,723 mi20432,225 km2859 mi2A04949.9%Arikaree RiverNorth Fork Republican River0324,429 km21,710 mi20234,265 km21,647 mi2A03296.3%San Miguel RiverDolores River0334,060 km21,567 mi20244,060 km21,567 mi2A006100%Stinking Water CreekFrenchman Creek0343,862 km21,491 mi2063966 km2373 mi2A05825.0%Roaring Fork Riverupper Colorado River (Grand River)0353,766 km21,454 mi20253,766 km21,454 mi2A007100%Crow CreekSouth Platte River0363,717 km21,435 mi20442,201 km2850 mi2A04659.2%Horse CreekArkansas River0373,680 km21,421 mi20263,680 km21,421 mi2A008100%Ladder CreekSmoky Hill River0383,645 km21,407 mi2067663 km2256 mi2A06218.2%Bijou CreekSouth Platte River0393,612 km21,395 mi20273,612 km21,395 mi2A009100%White Woman Basinendorheic basin0403,577 km21,381 mi2065908 km2351 mi2A05725.4%Rush CreekArkansas River0413,570 km21,378 mi20283,570 km21,378 mi2A010100%Animas RiverSan Juan River0423,562 km21,375 mi20302,971 km21,147 mi2A03983.4%Saguache CreekSan Luis Creek0433,482 km21,345 mi20293,482 km21,345 mi2A011100%Montezuma CreekSan Juan River0443,044 km21,175 mi2062983 km2380 mi2A05432.3%White Woman CreekWhite Woman Basin0453,000 km21,158 mi2066800 km2309 mi2A05626.7%Beaver CreekSouth Platte River0462,939 km21,135 mi20312,939 km21,135 mi2A012100%Uncompahgre RiverGunnison River0472,921 km21,128 mi20322,921 km21,128 mi2A013100%Tomichi CreekGunnison River0482,874 km21,109 mi20332,874 km21,109 mi2A014100%Apishapa RiverArkansas River0492,798 km21,080 mi20342,798 km21,080 mi2A015100%Saint Vrain CreekSouth Platte River0502,572 km2993 mi20352,572 km2993 mi2A016100%Eagle Riverupper Colorado River (Grand River)0512,515 km2971 mi20382,515 km2971 mi2A017100%Vermillion CreekGreen River0522,500 km2965 mi20591,155 km2446 mi2A05146.2%North Fork Gunnison RiverGunnison River0532,492 km2962 mi20412,492 km2962 mi2A018100%Fountain CreekArkansas River0542,418 km2933 mi20422,418 km2933 mi2A019100%Big Thompson RiverSouth Platte River0552,149 km2830 mi20452,149 km2830 mi2A020100%Two Butte CreekArkansas River0562,107 km2814 mi20462,107 km2814 mi2A021100%Mancos RiverSan Juan River0572,099 km2810 mi20471,973 km2762 mi2A03394.0%Conejos RiverRio Grande0582,078 km2802 mi20561,471 km2568 mi2A04470.8%North Fork Smoky Hill RiverSmoky Hill River0591,965 km2759 mi2064947 km2366 mi2A05048.2%Sidney DrawSouth Platte River0601,949 km2753 mi2070368 km2142 mi2A06118.9%South Fork Beaver CreekBeaver Creek0611,939 km2749 mi2068522 km2201 mi2A05526.9%Sand Arroyo CreekNorth Fork Cimarron River0621,938 km2748 mi20571,314 km2507 mi2A04567.8%Chico CreekArkansas River0631,934 km2747 mi20481,934 km2747 mi2A022100%Kiowa CreekSouth Platte River0641,888 km2729 mi20491,888 km2729 mi2A023100%Pawnee CreekSouth Platte River0651,875 km2724 mi20501,875 km2724 mi2A024100%McElmo CreekSan Juan River0661,842 km2711 mi20531,654 km2639 mi2A03589.8%Blue Riverupper Colorado River (Grand River)0671,770 km2683 mi20511,770 km2683 mi2A025100%Piedra RiverSan Juan River0681,770 km2683 mi20521,770 km2683 mi2A026100%Piceance CreekWhite River0691,630 km2629 mi20541,630 km2629 mi2A027100%Little Beaver CreekBeaver Creek0701,602 km2619 mi2072210 km281 mi2A06513.1%Clear CreekSouth Platte River0711,497 km2578 mi20551,497 km2578 mi2A028100%Taylor RiverGunnison River0721,258 km2486 mi20581,258 km2486 mi2A029100%Boulder CreekSaint Vrain Creek0731,160 km2448 mi20601,160 km2448 mi2A030100%Cherry CreekSouth Platte River0731,050 km2405 mi20601,050 km2405 mi2A030100%
See also
Surface-water hydrology Bibliography of Colorado Geography of Colorado History of Colorado Index of Colorado-related articles List of Colorado-related lists Outline of Colorado
Notes
References
External links
State of Colorado website Colorado Division of Natural Resources Colorado Water Conservation Board Colorado Division of Water Resources Colorado Geological Survey Major Rivers of Colorado Colorado's Decision Support Systems Colorado Watersheds Colorado Hydrologic Units