List of rivers of Colorado

The headwaters of the Arkansas River near Leadville, Colorado

This is a list of streams in the U.S. state of Colorado.

Alphabetical list

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^[1] 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.

1. Adams Fork Conejos River
2. Alamosa River 383 km² (148 mi²)
3. Animas River 3,562 km² (1,375 mi²)
4. Apishapa River 2,798 km² (1,080 mi²)
5. Arikaree River 4,429 km² (1,710 mi²)
6. Arkansas River 478,501 km² (184,750 mi²)
7. Aspen Brook
8. Bear Creek 4,500 km² (1,737 mi²)
9. Bear Creek 339 km² (131 mi²)
10. Bear River
11. Beaver Creek 2,939 km² (1,135 mi²)
12. Big Dry Creek (Littleton, Colorado)
13. Big Dry Creek (Westminster, Colorado)
14. Big Sandy Creek 4,825 km² (1,863 mi²)
15. Big Thompson River 2,149 km² (830 mi²)
16. Bijou Creek 3,612 km² (1,395 mi²)
17. Blue River 1,770 km² (683 mi²)
18. Box Elder Creek
19. Boulder Creek^[2] (1,160 km² (448 mi²)
20. Cache la Poudre River 4,959 km² (1,915 mi²)
21. Canadian River 122,701 km² (47,375 mi²)
22. Canadian River
23. Chalk Creek
24. Cherry Creek 1,050 km² (405 mi²)
25. Chico Creek 1,934 km² (747 mi²)
26. Cimarron River 44,890 km² (17,332 mi²)
27. Cimarron River
28. Clear Creek 1,497 km² (578 mi²)
29. Cochetopa Creek
30. Colorado River(67,993 km² (26,252 mi²)
31. Conejos River 2,078 km² (802 mi²)
32. Crow Creek 3,717 km² (1,435 mi²)
33. Crystal River
34. Cucharas River
35. Culebra Creek
36. Dolores River 11,998 km² (4,633 mi²)
37. Dry Fork Michigan River
38. Eagle River 2,515 km² (971 mi²)
39. East Fork Arkansas River
40. East Fork Cimarron River
41. East Fork Eagle River
42. East Fork Little Cimarron River
43. East Fork Navajo River
44. East Fork Piedra River
45. East Fork Rio Chama
46. East Fork San Juan River
47. East Fork South Fork Crystal River
48. East Mancos River
49. East River 762 km² (294 mi²)
50. Elk River
51. Encampment River
52. Fall River
53. Fall River
54. First Fork Piedra River
55. First Fork South Fork Piney River
56. Florida River
57. Fountain Creek 2,418 km² (933 mi²)
58. Fraser River
59. Frenchman Creek 7,398 km² (2,856 mi²)
60. Fryingpan River
61. Geneva Creek
62. Gore Creek
63. Green River^[3][4] (115,903 km² (44,750 mi²)
64. Gunnison River^[5] (20,851 km² (8,051 mi²)
65. Hidden River
66. Hill Branch Cucharas River
67. Horse Creek 3,680 km² (1,421 mi²)
68. Huerfano River 4,840 km² (1,869 mi²)
69. Illinois River
70. Kettle Creek
71. Kiowa Creek 1,888 km² (729 mi²)
72. La Plata River
73. Ladder Creek 3,645 km² (1,407 mi²)
74. Lake Fork Gunnison River
75. Laramie River 11,961 km² (4,618 mi²)
76. Left Hand Creek
77. Little Beaver Creek 1,602 km² (619 mi²)
78. Little Cimarron River
79. Little Dolores River
80. Little Dry Creek
81. Little Navajo River
82. Little Snake River 10,629 km² (4,104 mi²)
83. Little Thompson River
84. Lodgepole Creek 8,374 km² (3,233 mi²)
85. Lone Tree Creek
86. Los Pinos River
87. Mancos River 2,099 km² (810 mi²)
88. McElmo Creek 1,842 km² (711 mi²)
89. Michigan River
90. Middle Fork Cimarron River
91. Middle Fork Conejos River
92. Middle Fork Elk River
93. Middle Fork Little Snake River
94. Middle Fork Piedra River
95. Middle Fork Purgatoire River
96. Middle Fork South Arkansas River
97. Middle Fork South Platte River
98. Middle Fork Swan River
99. Middle Mancos River
100. Montezuma Creek 3,044 km² (1,175 mi²)
101. Muddy Creek
102. Navajo River
103. North Branch Conejos River
104. North Fork Animas River
105. North Fork Apishapa River
106. North Fork Arikaree River
107. North Fork Big Thompson River
108. North Fork Cache la Poudre River
109. North Fork Canadian River
110. North Fork Cimarron River 4,462 km² (1,723 mi²)
111. North Fork Conejos River
112. North Fork Crystal River
113. North Fork Elk River
114. North Fork Fryingpan River
115. North Fork Gunnison River 2,492 km² (962 mi²)
116. North Fork Little Snake River
117. North Fork Little Thompson River
118. North Fork Los Pinos River
119. North Fork Michigan River
120. North Fork North Platte River
121. North Fork Piney River
122. North Fork Purgatoire River
123. North Fork Republican River 13,172 km² (5,086 mi²)
124. North Fork Rio de los Piños
125. North Fork Smoky Hill River 1,965 km² (759 mi²)
126. North Fork Snake River
127. North Fork South Arkansas River
128. North Fork South Platte River
129. North Fork Swan River
130. North Fork Vermejo River
131. North Fork West Branch Laramie River
132. North Fork West Mancos River
133. North Fork White River
134. North Platte River 80,755 km² (31,180 mi²)
135. North Saint Charles River
136. Owl Creek
137. Parachute Creek
138. Pawnee Creek 1,875 km² (724 mi²)
139. Piceance Creek 1,630 km² (629 mi²)
140. Piedra River 1,770 km² (683 mi²)
141. Piney River
142. Plateau Creek
143. Purgatoire River 8,923 km² (3,445 mi²)
144. Quartz Creek
145. Ralston Creek
146. Rio Blanco
147. Rio Chama 8,204 km² (3,168 mi²)
148. Rio Chamita
149. Rio de los Piños
150. Rio Grande 457,275 km² (176,555 mi²)
151. Rio Lado
152. Rio San Antonio
153. Roan Creek
154. Roaring Fork Little Snake River
155. Roaring Fork River 3,766 km² (1,454 mi²)
156. Roaring River
157. Rush Creek 3,570 km² (1,378 mi²)
158. Saguache Creek 3,482 km² (1,345 mi²)
159. Saint Charles River
160. Saint Vrain Creek 2,572 km² (993 mi²)
161. San Juan River 64,560 km² (24,927 mi²)
162. San Luis Creek 7,000 km² (2,703 mi²)
163. San Miguel River 4,060 km² (1,567 mi²)
164. Sand Arroyo Creek 1,938 km² (748 mi²)
165. Sand Creek (Adams County)
166. Sand Creek (Colorado Springs)
167. Sand Creek (Larimer County)
168. Sidney Draw 1,949 km² (753 mi²)
169. Slate River
170. Smith Fork
171. Smoky Hill River 51,783 km² (19,994 mi²)
172. Snake River
173. South Arkansas River
174. South Fork Animas River
175. South Fork Beaver Creek 1,939 km² (749 mi²)
176. South Fork Cache la Poudre River
177. South Fork Canadian River
178. South Fork Conejos River
179. South Fork Crystal River
180. South Fork Cucharas River
181. South Fork Eagle River
182. South Fork Elk River
183. South Fork Fryingpan River
184. South Fork Huerfano River
185. South Fork Little Snake River
186. South Fork Michigan River
187. South Fork Piney River
188. South Fork Purgatoire River
189. South Fork Republican River 7,195 km² (2,778 mi²)
190. South Fork Rio Grande
191. South Fork San Miguel River
192. South Fork South Platte River
193. South Fork Swan River
194. South Fork West Mancos River
195. South Fork White River
196. South Platte River 62,738 km² (24,223 mi²)
197. Spring Creek
198. Spruce Creek
199. Stoner Creek
200. Swan River
201. Tarryall Creek
202. Taylor River 1,258 km² (486 mi²)
203. Tenmile Creek
204. Tennessee Creek
205. Tomichi Creek 2,874 km² (1,109 mi²)
206. Trinchera Creek
207. Two Butte Creek 2,107 km² (814 mi²)
208. Uncompahgre River 2,921 km² (1,128 mi²)
209. Vermillion Creek 2,500 km² (965 mi²)
210. West Branch Laramie River
211. West Dolores River
212. West Fork Animas River
213. West Fork Cimarron River
214. West Fork Elk River
215. West Fork Encampment River
216. West Fork Little Thompson River
217. West Fork North Fork Purgatoire River
218. West Fork Rio Chama
219. West Fork San Juan River
220. West Mancos River
221. White River 12,989 km² (5,015 mi²)
222. White Woman Creek 3,000 km² (1,158 mi²)
223. Williams Fork (Colorado River)
224. Williams Fork (Yampa River)
225. Willow Creek
226. Wind River
227. Yampa River 21,506 km² (8,304 mi²)
228. Yellow Creek 760 km² (293 mi²)

Notes

Of the 158 named rivers that flow through the State of Colorado, all but the Green River^[3][4] and Cimarron River have their headwaters in that state.

As of February 1, 2008, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names 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, 44 (0.8%) were named fork, 18 (0.3%) were named branch, 17 (0.3%) were named brook, 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 that is the largest tributary of the Arkansas River, there is also a Canadian River that is a tributary of the North Platte River. In addition to the Cimarron River that is another major tributary of the Arkansas River, there is also a Cimarron River that is a tributary of the Gunnison River. There is a Fall River that is a tributary of the Big Thompson River as well as a Fall River 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 steams named Rock Creek, 33 streams named Sand Creek, and 32 steams named Mill Creek. The Arkansas River and the Colorado River flow through Colorado, as do a Florida River, an Idaho Creek, an Illinois River, an Indiana Creek, a Maryland Creek, a Michigan River, a Minnesota Creek, six Missouri Creeks, a Montana Creek, two New York Creeks, two Ohio Creeks, two Pennsylvania Creeks, two Tennessee Creeks, seven Texas Creeks, 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 and area of the drainage basin.^[1] 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

1. Gulf of California
   1. Colorado River
      1. Green River
         1. Yampa River 21,506 km² (8,304 mi²)
            1. Little Snake River 10,629 km² (4,104 mi²)
               1. Roaring Fork Little Snake River
               2. Middle Fork Little Snake River
               3. North Fork Little Snake River
               4. South Fork Little Snake River
               5. Williams Fork
            2. Bear River
            3. Elk River
               1. South Fork Elk River
               2. Middle Fork Elk River
               3. North Fork Elk River
         2. White River 12,989 km² (5,015 mi²)
            1. Piceance Creek 1,630 km² (629 mi²)
            2. Yellow Creek 760 km² (293 mi²)
            3. North Fork White River
            4. South Fork White River
         3. Vermillion Creek 2,500 km² (965 mi²)
      2. upper Colorado River
         1. Gunnison River^[5] 20,851 km² (8,051 mi²)
            1. Uncompahgre River 2,921 km² (1,128 mi²)
            2. Tomichi Creek 2,874 km² (1,109 mi²)
               1. Cochetopa Creek
               2. Quartz Creek
            3. North Fork Gunnison River 2,492 km² (962 mi²)
            4. Smith Fork
            5. Lake Fork Gunnison River
            6. Taylor River 1,258 km² (486 mi²)
            7. East River 762 km² (294 mi²)
               1. Slate River
            8. Cimarron River
               1. Little Cimarron River
                  1. East Fork Little Cimarron River
               2. East Fork Cimarron River
               3. Middle Fork Cimarron River
               4. West Fork Cimarron River
         2. Dolores River 11,998 km² (4,633 mi²)
            1. San Miguel River 4,060 km² (1,567 mi²)
               1. South Fork San Miguel River
            2. West Dolores River
            3. Rio Lado
         3. Roaring Fork River 3,766 km² (1,454 mi²)
            1. Crystal River
               1. North Fork Crystal River
               2. South Fork Crystal River
                  1. East Fork South Fork Crystal River
            2. Fryingpan River
               1. North Fork Fryingpan River
               2. South Fork Fryingpan River
         4. Eagle River 2,515 km² (971 mi²)
            1. Gore Creek
            2. East Fork Eagle River
            3. South Fork Eagle River
         5. Blue River 1,770 km² (683 mi²)
            1. Snake River
               1. North Fork Snake River
            2. Tenmile Creek
            3. Swan River
               1. Middle Fork Swan River
               2. North Fork Swan River
               3. South Fork Swan River
         6. Little Dolores River
         7. Fraser River
         8. Williams Fork
         9. Piney River
            1. North Fork Piney River
            2. South Fork Piney River
               1. First Fork South Fork Piney River
         10. Parachute Creek
         11. Roan Creek
         12. Plateau Creek
         13. Muddy Creek
         14. Willow Creek
      3. San Juan River 64,560 km² (24,927 mi²)
         1. Animas River 3,562 km² (1,375 mi²)
            1. Florida River
            2. North Fork Animas River
            3. South Fork Animas River
            4. West Fork Animas River
         2. Montezuma Creek 3,044 km² (1,175 mi²)
         3. Mancos River 2,099 km² (810 mi²)
            1. East Mancos River
               1. Middle Mancos River
            2. West Mancos River
               1. North Fork West Mancos River
               2. South Fork West Mancos River
         4. McElmo Creek 1,842 km² (711 mi²)
         5. Piedra River 1,770 km² (683 mi²)
            1. First Fork Piedra River
            2. East Fork Piedra River
            3. Middle Fork Piedra River
         6. La Plata River
         7. Navajo River
            1. Little Navajo River
            2. East Fork Navajo River
         8. Los Pinos River
            1. North Fork Los Pinos River
         9. Rio Blanco
         10. East Fork San Juan River
         11. West Fork San Juan River

Atlantic Ocean

1. Gulf of Mexico
   1. Mississippi River
      1. Missouri River
         1. Platte River
            1. North Platte River 80,755 km² (31,180 mi²)
               1. Laramie River 11,961 km² (4,618 mi²)
                  1. Sand Creek
                  2. West Branch Laramie River
                     1. North Fork West Branch Laramie River
               2. Encampment River
                  1. West Fork Encampment River
               3. Canadian River
                  1. North Fork Canadian River
                  2. South Fork Canadian River
               4. Michigan River
                  1. Illinois River
                  2. North Fork Michigan River
                  3. South Fork Michigan River
                  4. Dry Fork Michigan River
               5. North Fork North Platte River
            2. South Platte River 62,738 km² (24,223 mi²)
               1. Lodgepole Creek 8,374 km² (3,233 mi²)
               2. Cache la Poudre River 4,959 km² (1,915 mi²)
                  1. North Fork Cache la Poudre River
                  2. South Fork Cache la Poudre River
                  3. Spring Creek
               3. Crow Creek 3,717 km² (1,435 mi²)
               4. Bijou Creek 3,612 km² (1,395 mi²)
               5. Beaver Creek 2,939 km² (1,135 mi²)
               6. Saint Vrain Creek 2,572 km² (993 mi²)
                  1. Boulder Creek 1,160 km² (448 mi²)^[2]
                  2. Left Hand Creek
               7. Big Thompson River 2,149 km² (830 mi²)
                  1. Little Thompson River
                     1. North Fork Little Thompson River
                     2. West Fork Little Thompson River
                  2. Fall River
                     1. Roaring River
                  3. North Fork Big Thompson River
                  4. Aspen Brook
                     1. Wind River
                  5. Spruce Creek
                     1. Hidden River
                  6. Fish Creek
               8. Sidney Draw 1,949 km² (753 mi²)
               9. Box Elder Creek
               10. Kiowa Creek 1,888 km² (729 mi²)
               11. Pawnee Creek 1,875 km² (724 mi²)
               12. Clear Creek 1,497 km² (578 mi²)
                   1. Ralston Creek
                   2. Fall River
               13. Cherry Creek 1,050 km² (405 mi²)
               14. North Fork South Platte River
                   1. Geneva Creek
               15. Middle Fork South Platte River
               16. South Fork South Platte River
               17. Lone Tree Creek
                   1. Owl Creek
               18. Tarryall Creek
               19. Sand Creek
               20. Bear Creek 339 km² (131 mi²)
               21. Big Dry Creek (Littleton, Colorado)
               22. Big Dry Creek (Westminster, Colorado)
               23. Little Dry Creek
         2. Kansas River
            1. Republican River
               1. North Fork Republican River 13,172 km² (5,086 mi²)
               2. Arikaree River 4,429 km² (1,710 mi²)
                  1. North Fork Arikaree River
               3. Frenchman Creek 7,398 km² (2,856 mi²)
               4. Sappa Creek
                  1. Beaver Creek
                     1. South Fork Beaver Creek 1,939 km² (749 mi²)
                     2. Little Beaver Creek 1,602 km² (619 mi²)
               5. South Fork Republican River 7,195 km² (2,778 mi²)
            2. Smoky Hill River 51,783 km² (19,994 mi²)
               1. Ladder Creek 3,645 km² (1,407 mi²)
               2. North Fork Smoky Hill River 1,965 km² (759 mi²)
      2. Arkansas River 478,501 km² (184,750 mi²)
         1. Tennessee Creek
         2. Canadian River 122,701 km² (47,375 mi²)
            1. Vermejo River
               1. North Fork Vermejo River
         3. Cimarron River 44,890 km² (17,332 mi²)
            1. North Fork Cimarron River 4,462 km² (1,723 mi²)
               1. Sand Arroyo Creek 1,938 km² (748 mi²)
         4. Purgatoire River 8,923 km² (3,445 mi²)
            1. North Fork Purgatoire River
               1. West Fork North Fork Purgatoire River
            2. Middle Fork Purgatoire River
            3. South Fork Purgatoire River
         5. Huerfano River 4,840 km² (1,869 mi²)
            1. Cucharas River
               1. Hill Branch Cucharas River
               2. South Fork Cucharas River
            2. South Fork Huerfano River
         6. Big Sandy Creek 4,825 km² (1,863 mi²)
            1. Rush Creek 3,570 km² (1,378 mi²)
         7. Horse Creek 3,680 km² (1,421 mi²)
         8. Apishapa River 2,798 km² (1,080 mi²)
            1. North Fork Apishapa River
         9. Fountain Creek 2,418 km² (933 mi²)
         10. Two Butte Creek 2,107 km² (814 mi²)
         11. Chico Creek 1,934 km² (747 mi²)
         12. South Arkansas River
             1. Middle Fork South Arkansas River
             2. North Fork South Arkansas River
         13. Saint Charles River
             1. North Saint Charles River
         14. East Fork Arkansas River
         15. Chalk Creek
         16. Bear Creek Basin (endorheic basin)
             1. Bear Creek 4,500 km² (1,737 mi²)
         17. White Woman Basin (endorheic basin)
             1. White Woman Creek 3,000 km² (1,158 mi²)
   2. Rio Grande 457,275 km² (176,555 mi²)
      1. Rio Chama 8,204 km² (3,168 mi²)
         1. Rio Chamita
         2. East Fork Rio Chama
         3. West Fork Rio Chama
      2. Conejos River 2,078 km² (802 mi²)
         1. Rio San Antonio
            1. Rio de los Piños
               1. North Fork Rio de los Piños
         2. Middle Fork Conejos River
         3. North Branch Conejos River
         4. North Fork Conejos River
         5. South Fork Conejos River
         6. Adams Fork Conejos River
      3. South Fork Rio Grande
      4. Alamosa River 383 km² (148 mi²)
      5. Trinchera Creek
      6. San Luis Closed Basin (endorheic basin)
         1. San Luis Creek 7,000 km² (2,703 mi²)
            1. Saguache Creek 3,482 km² (1,345 mi²)

See also

• Hydrology
• Surface-water hydrology
• Stream
• River
• Waterfalls of Colorado
• Geography of Colorado
• Colorado drainage basins
• Wikimedia Commons: Rivers of Colorado

References

1. Gustafson, Daniel L. (2003-01-24). "Hydrologic Unit Project". Montana State University, Environmental Statistics Group. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
2. Murphy, Sheila F. (2006). State of the watershed: Water quality of Boulder Creek, Colorado (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1284. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. ISBN 1-4113-0954-5. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
3. The Colorado River originally began at the confluence of the Green River and the Grand River in what is now Canyonlands National Park in Utah. 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 which noted that the drainage basin of the Green River was more than 70% more extensive than that of the Grand River.
4. The headwaters of the Green River are located in the Wind River Mountains of the State of Wyoming.
5. The Gunnison River Basin is the most extensive river basin exclusively within the State of Colorado.

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