The Roaring Fork Watershed is located in central Colorado on the west side of the Continental Divide. The watershed includes the Sawatch, Collegiate and Elk Ranges and eight 14,000 foot peaks. Melting snow in these headwaters collects and joins one of three main rivers (Roaring Fork, Fryingpan, and Crystal) and drains to the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs at an elevation of 5,916 feet. Encompassing an area of 1,451 square miles, the Roaring Fork Watershed is approximately the size of Rhode Island. Part of the larger Colorado River Basin, which supplies water to over 28 million people in the arid southwest, the Roaring Fork Watershed contributes about 940,000 acre feet or 306 billion gallons of water each year to the Colorado River!
Why Watershed Organizing Works
By River Network
Rivers are far more than the waters within their banks. They are the hearts of flowing, living freshwater systems that include groundwater, springs, wetlands, ponds, streams, lakes and estuaries. These systems reflect the natural characteristics of their basins and the effects of all human activities within them. More...
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Roaring Fork
Watershed Facts
Location:
West Central Colorado
Land Area:
1,451 square miles
Land Ownership:
75% public
25% private
Estimated Population
(2005): 40,000
Highest Point:
Castle Peak (14,265 ft)
Lowest Point:
Colorado River (5,916 ft)
Miles of Stream:
1,962
Annual Precipitation:
Aspen: 18.9 inches
Glenwood: 16.2 inches
Watershed
Definition
A watershed is an area of land where all the water flows to one place.
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