Cache La Poudre Rapids
by Jon Burch Photography
Title
Cache La Poudre Rapids
Artist
Jon Burch Photography
Medium
Photograph - Digital Capture & Enhancement
Description
Flowing water in Poudre Canyon north of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Colorado is known as the "Headwaters State" because several of the West's most important rivers originate in the Rocky Mountains. Colorado has eight major river basins and several aquifers. The majority of the water supply falls as snow in the Rocky Mountains. The continental divide traverses the state, causing snow melt filled rivers to flow toward the Pacific Ocean on the west side of the divide and the Atlantic Ocean on the east side. Because of weather patterns, more snow falls on the west side, providing more water there. However, most of the state's population is on the east side.
Trans-mountain diversions have solved some of this disparity. The Colorado-Big Thompson Project brings water from the Colorado River Basin to the Front Range of Colorado, primarily in the northeastern corner of the state. The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project brings water from the Fryingpan River Basin to the southeastern corner. Though originally designed primarily for agricultural water supply, both projects have been increasingly supplying Colorado's growing municipalities.
Image copyright 2019 Jon Burch Photography
Uploaded
October 12th, 2019
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