Colorado

The Colorado River is considered the "Beating Heart of the American Southwest."  Its headwaters are in Rocky Mountain National Park at just over 9000 ft. and flows for 1450 miles through seven states before reaching the mostly dry Colorado River Delta at the Gulf of California.  Our work is conducted throughout the Upper Colorado River Basin which hosts 14 species of native fish (4 of which are endangered).  In order to monitor these endangered fish we get to work on some pretty special stretches of river.  Here are a few locations on the Colorado that we get to work in.

Westwater Canyon
Located in eastern Utah, Westwater Canyon is the the first stretch of whitewater on the Colorado River in Utah.  This canyon is home to class III and IV whitewater as well as a population of humpback chubs.  We conduct humpback chub population estimates here on two year rotations.  We sampled Westwater in 2016 and 2017 and will sample here again this fall and in 2021.

Current Flow Information

                                                            Humpback chub captured in Westwater Canyon

Sportboat floating along the granite and schist walls.

Cataract Canyon
Starting at the confluence of the Green and Colorado River, Cataract Canyon is a 48 mile stretch of river through Canyonlands National Park and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.  Depending on flows, Cataract can deliver up to class V whitewater.  Whitewater enthusiasts love this canyon almost as much as our native humpback chubs do.  We end up taking one trip down this canyon every other year in the fall in search of these fish.

Current Flow Information

Downstream sunset viewed from one of our Chub camps

Big Drop Three Cataract Canyon, Colorado River

The confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers