Tag Archive: colorado river

Historic Hanging Flume – Dolores River – Colorado

Historic Hanging Flume - Dolores River - Colorado

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A view of a historic hanging flume constructed by the Montrose Placer Mining company in the 1880’s to help miners exploit placer gold deposits in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The flume was more than 12 miles in length, and was connected to a ditch starting at a dam on the San Miguel River near Uravan, Colorado. While in operation the flume carried more than 80 million gallons of water a day.

Denver Post: 121-year-old western Colorado mining flume clings to its secrets
See more images from the Colorado River watershed.

Topock Marsh Sunrise – Needles, California

Needles Sunrise - Topock Marsh - Lake Havasu

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The Needles, which rise as silhouetted rock pinnacles in this sunrise photo are a group of mountain peaks adjacent to Topock Gorge, and the Colorado River on the northwestern edge of the Mohave Mountains. They range in height from 1207 to 1600 feet. They are reflected in the foreground by the water of Topock Marsh, created with the establishment of Lake Havasu, a dammed section of the Colorado River. As part of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, Topock Marsh serves as critical habitat for migratory waterfowl, songbirds, fish, and other wildlife (including my first sighting that morning of a Bobcat in the wild). Topock Marsh and Lake Havasu form the border of California and Arizona and offer a beautiful oasis of life in the harsh Mojave and Sonoran deserts.

US Fish and Wildlife Service – Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
State of Arizona – Lake Havasu State Park
See more images from the Colorado River watershed.