Reduction of the delta's size has also threatened animals such as jaguars and the vaquita porpoise, which is endemic to the gulf. Human development of the Colorado River has also helped to create new riparian zones by smoothing the river's seasonal flow, notably through the Grand Canyon. More than 1,600 species of plants grow in the Colorado River watershed, ranging from the creosote bush, saguaro cactus, and Joshua trees of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts to the forests of the Rocky Mountains and other uplands, composed mainly of ponderosa pine, subalpine fir, Douglas-fir and Engelmann spruce. Before logging in the 19th century, forests were abundant in high elevations as far south as the Mexico–U.S.
Wildlife and plants
Colorado River
Colorado River | Wildlife and plants
Creosote bush, saguaro cactus, and Joshua trees Creosote bush, saguaro cactus, Joshua trees, ponderosa pine, subalpine fir, Douglas-fir and Engelmann spruce. Tamarisk Creosote bush, saguaro cactus, and Joshua trees
are the oldest rocks in the world in the grand canyon
user
Yes, the rock layers exposed in the Grand Canyon and in the Grand Canyon National Park area range in age from about 200 million to nearly 2 billion years old.
assistant
is there any river flowing through or alongside it?
user
Yes, Colorado River
assistant
what exactly is that canyon mentioned above?
user
It is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States.
assistant
what are some of the tributaries of the water body mentioned above?
user
The Colorado is joined by over 25 significant tributaries: Green River,  Gila River ,
assistant
what are some of the flora found near this larger river?
user
Vulnerable species and plant communities include saltbush/wolfberry flats, saguaro, nightblooming cereus cacti, tamarisks, barrel cactus, Sonoran panicgrass, and Acuna cactus.
Lower Colorado River Valley | Flora
Reduction of the delta's size has also threatened animals such as jaguars and the vaquita porpoise, which is endemic to the gulf. Human development of the Colorado River has also helped to create new riparian zones by smoothing the river's seasonal flow, notably through the Grand Canyon. More than 1,600 species of plants grow in the Colorado River watershed, ranging from the creosote bush, saguaro cactus, and Joshua trees of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts to the forests of the Rocky Mountains and other uplands, composed mainly of ponderosa pine, subalpine fir, Douglas-fir and Engelmann spruce. Before logging in the 19th century, forests were abundant in high elevations as far south as the Mexico–U.S.
Colorado River | Wildlife and plants
It dominates the river bank and does not provide the necessary shading for river edge habitats, resulting in warmer water and a lower diversity of aquatic animals. The giant reed along with the salt cedar, have greatly devastated and degraded the lower Colorado River riparian.
West Wetlands Park | Invasive plants
The Colorado River and its tributaries often nourish extensive corridors of riparian growth as they traverse the arid desert regions of the watershed. Although riparian zones represent a relatively small proportion of the basin and have been affected by engineering projects and river diversion in many places, they have the greatest biodiversity of any habitat in the basin. The most prominent riparian zones along the river occur along the lower Colorado below Davis Dam, especially in the Colorado River Delta, where riparian areas support 358 species of birds despite the reduction in freshwater flow and invasive plants such as tamarisk (salt cedar).
Colorado River | Wildlife and plants
The Colorado is joined by over 25 significant tributaries, of which the Green River is the largest by both length and discharge. The Green River takes drainage from the Wind River Range of west-central Wyoming, from Utah's Uinta Mountains, and from the Rockies of northwestern Colorado. The Gila River is the second longest and drains a greater area than the Green, but has a significantly lower flow because of a more arid climate and larger diversions for irrigation and cities. Both the Gunnison and San Juan rivers, which derive most of their water from Rocky Mountains snowmelt, contribute more water than the Gila contributed naturally.
Colorado River | Major tributaries
There are 33 crustacean species found in the Colorado River and its tributaries within Grand Canyon National Park. Of these 33, 16 are considered true zooplankton organisms. Only 48 bird species regularly nest along the river, while others use the river as a migration corridor or as overwintering habitat. The bald eagle is one species that uses the river corridor as winter habitat.
Grand Canyon | Lower Sonoran
border, and runoff from these areas nourished abundant grassland communities in river valleys. Some arid regions of the watershed, such as the upper Green River valley in Wyoming, Canyonlands National Park in Utah and the San Pedro River valley in Arizona and Sonora, supported extensive reaches of grassland roamed by large mammals such as buffalo and antelope as late as the 1860s. Near Tucson, Arizona, "where now there is only powder-dry desert, the grass once reached as high as the head of a man on horse back". Rivers and streams in the Colorado basin were once home to 49 species of native fish, of which 42 were endemic.
Colorado River | Wildlife and plants
Foxtail cactus ("Escobaria vivipara" subsp.) and California barrel cactus ("Ferocactus cylindraceus") dot the landscape, and a Burro mule deer ("Odocoileus hemionus" var. "eremicus") herd relies on the Colorado River for survival.
Big Maria Mountains | Ecology
This is a list of fauna of the Lower Colorado River Valley. The list also includes: Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and wildflowers.
List of fauna of the Lower Colorado River Valley | Introduction
All are unique to the Colorado River system and well adapted to the river's natural silty conditions and flow variations.
Fauna of California | Colorado River
This plant grows on shale barrens in the Piceance Basin of Colorado. Its substrate originates from the Parachute Creek Member of the Green River Formation. The habitat is pinyon-juniper woodland, and associated plant species include "Pinus edulis", "Juniperus osteosperma", "Astragalus lutosus", "Galium coloradense", "Oryzopsis hymenoides", and buckwheats, thistles, and penstemons.
Physaria parviflora | Introduction
Species growing here include paper birch, aspen, ferns and club mosses. Rocky Mountain forest plants include ponderosa pine, serviceberry, and horizontal juniper. Eastern deciduous forests grow on the moist bottom lands and islands of the Niobrara. They include American elm, basswood, cottonwood, green ash, bur oak, hackberry and box elder. Three types of prairie are found in the river valley, displaying a botanical transition between among the eastern tallgrass prairie, the Sandhills mixed-grass prairie, and Northern Mixed-grass prairie. Mule deer, beaver, mink, pronghorn, river otter and even bison can be found in the area. Approximately 300 bison and a few dozen elk are protected in the 19,000 acre (77 km) Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, which is located along the river.
Niobrara National Scenic River | Introduction
Salt cedar communities support less native bird populations. It absorbs water at an exponential rate, across the entirety of the Colorado River System, it is responsible for a daily absorption of 200 gallons of water. Giant reed ("Arundo donax"), also known as wild cane is an invasive species that has greatly compromised the lower Colorado River riparian. The United States Department of Agriculture describes it as a perennial grass that grows from nine to thirty feet in height. Successful establishment of giant reed within a riparian area results in a decline of the native plant species. It does not provide shelter or food for the native wildlife species, so large areas invaded by giant reed have little or no wildlife living amongst it.
West Wetlands Park | Invasive plants
It has one of the last stands of the natural Cottonwood-Willow Forests plant community along the lower Colorado River, with Fremont's cottonwood ("Populus fremontii") and Goodding's willow ("Salix gooddingii") the primary tree species.
Bill Williams River | Nature reserves
The Lower Sonoran life zone spans from the Colorado River up to . Along the Colorado River and its perennial tributaries, a riparian community exists. Coyote willow, arrowweed, seep-willow, western honey mesquite, catclaw acacia, and exotic tamarisk (saltcedar) are the predominant species. Hanging gardens, seeps and springs often contain rare plants such as the white-flowering western redbud, stream orchid, and "Flaveria mcdougallii". Endangered fish in the river include the humpback chub and the razorback sucker. The three most common amphibians in these riparian communities are the canyon tree frog, red-spotted toad, and Woodhouse's Rocky Mountain toad. Leopard frogs are very rare in the Colorado River corridor, they have undergone major declines and have not been seen in the Canyon in several years.
Grand Canyon | Lower Sonoran
The vegetation of the watershed is diverse. Along the main river canyon and many side tributaries grow riparian species such as California sycamore and white alder. Extensive stands of old-growth redwood trees tower above moist canyons and north-facing slopes below approximately 2400 ft. Above the redwoods, a mixed-hardwood forest of madrone, tanoak, coast live oak, canyon oak, and occasionally ponderosa and Coulter pine predominates. The rare Santa Lucia fir, endemic to the Santa Lucia Mountains, is found scattered in small groves, including one near the confluence of the Big Sur River and Ventana Creek, the lowest elevation (600 feet) known in the wild.
Big Sur River | Vegetation
Some sub-regions of the Colorado Desert contain endemic flora. Along the Lower Colorado River Valley, in-flow side canyons, flatlands, or low-to-higher level elevations, at least three such flora occur: "Hesperocallis undulata" (desert lily), "Nolina bigelovii" (Bigelow's nolina), and "Peucephyllum schottii" (desert fir).
Colorado Desert | Endemic flora
The lower river is dominated by the drier Interior Douglas Fir vegetation zone. Other conifer species present are Ponderosa pine, Engelmann spruce, and alpine fir. The area around the river mouth has been altered by human activities such as farming and livestock grazing.
Adams River (British Columbia) | Flora
Edgar Alexander Mearns wrote in his 1907 naturalist survey "Mammals of the Mexican Boundary of the United States" that beaver were present on nearly all streams of the Colorado Basin. Re-introductions of beaver in recent times have transformed even small desert streams into robust riparian habitat, increasing species abundance and diversity.
Verde River | Flora and fauna
The Colorado River is the longest river in the State of California. Many animals have made the Colorado River and surrounding Lower Colorado River Valley their home. Animals along the river include several species of snakes, scorpions, tarantula, yellow-headed blackbird, desert iguana, kit fox, bobcats and coyotes. Rivers and streams in the Colorado Basin were once home to 49 species of native fish, of which 42 are endemic. Engineering projects and river regulation have led to the extinction of four species and severe declines in the populations of 40 species. The bonytail chub, razorback sucker, Colorado pikeminnow, and humpback chub are among those considered the most at risk.
Fauna of California | Colorado River
The Arikaree River has been made one of the designated areas under the Colorado Natural Areas Program because it is "part of the largest and best remaining example of a naturally functioning Great Plains river system in Colorado." It has several species of reptiles, fish, and amphibians that are native and uncommon. The area is a sanctuary for many bird species, including burrowing owls, ferruginous hawks, and greater prairie chickens. The habitat is near-pristine and there are high-quality riparian and native prairie plants.
Arikaree River | Arikaree River Natural Area
Engineering projects and river regulation have led to the extinction of four species and severe declines in the populations of 40 species. Bonytail chub, razorback sucker, Colorado pikeminnow, and humpback chub are among those considered the most at risk; all are unique to the Colorado River system and well adapted to the river's natural silty conditions and flow variations. Clear, cold water released by dams has significantly changed characteristics of habitat for these and other Colorado River basin fishes. A further 40 species that occur in the river today, notably the brown trout, were introduced during the 19th and 20th centuries, mainly for sport fishing.
Colorado River | Wildlife and plants
The center contains a variety of habitats including wetlands, forests, and more than of restored and original prairie. The center contains some specimens of the endangered dwarf trout lily.
River Bend Nature Center | Notable flora and fauna
Pacific lamprey, three-spined stickleback, and various sculpins have also been observed.
Chetco River | Flora and fauna
The Santa Clara River Reserve encompasses the entire 1,645 acre Santa Clara/Land Hill Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) which contains prehistoric Anasazi sites and preserves riparian habitat. Along the river's banks, vegetation includes Fremont cottonwood ("Populus fremontii"), coyote willow ("Salix exigua"), seep-willow ("Baccharis salicifolia"), Gooddings willow ("Salix gooddingii"), velvet ash ("Fraxinus velutina"), and the exotic Russian willow and tamarisk ("Tamarix ssp."). When overgrazing is prevented, native dense grasses and grass-like vegetation, including cattails and sedges, stabilize the stream banks, collect stream sediment, and slow high velocity stream flows. Quailbush ("Atriplex lentiformis"), mesquite ("Nahuatl mizquitl") and rabbit bush grow just outside the riparian zone.
Santa Clara River (Utah) | Ecology
Not surprisingly, the river is excellent habitat for beavers ("Castor canadensis"). Fish species found in the Rio Nutrias at the U.S. 285 crossing include Rio Grande chub ("Gila pandora"), Fathead minnow ("Pimephales promelas"), Flathead chub ("Platygobio gracilis"), Longnose dace ("Rhinichthys cataractae"), and White Sucker ("Catostomus commersoni"). Riparian vegetation includes Coyote Willow ("Salix exigua").
Rio Nutria (Zuni River tributary) | Ecology
Fish species found in the river include trout, perch, carp, roach. Also present are water scorpions, snails, caddisfly larvae, fish fry, red-eared sliders, rare snakes, crayfish, leeches and dragonfly. Plants include bamboo species and aquatic equisetopsida.
Fave | Flora and fauna
Edible plants such as wild asparagus and prickly pear are occasionally found. Virginia creeper and imported plants such as the Russian olive, dandelion are present. Despite the limited area this corridor offers, raccoons, beaver, foxes, coyotes, and even deer are not uncommon sights along the creek. The beaver typically have lodges upstream (east) of Denver, but swim downstream to forage.
Cherry Creek (Colorado) | Ecology
There are many species of plants that reside within the preserve besides the iconic Valley Oak(Quercus lobata). Some of the species that are located close to the water are Cottonwood (Populus fremontii), cattail (Typhaceae Typha), Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), and Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana). Other plants that you can find on the preserve include Wild California Grape (Vitis californica), California Rose (Rosa californica), and the Elderberry tree (Adoxaceae Sambucus). Two greatly invasive plant species that occur around the Cosumnes River Preserve are the Perennial Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) and Common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). The Cosumnes River Preserve is also a habitat for many mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
Cosumnes River Preserve | Flora and fauna
Black spruce and white spruce, balsam poplar, and large bogs dominate the land near the rivers, while willow shrubs, mosses, lichens, and other vegetation grows on the tundra at higher elevations in the watershed. Wildlife includes foxes, beavers, bald eagles, golden eagles, falcons, hawks, owls, geese, and large populations of brown bears. Bristle-thighed curlews have one of their main nesting grounds in the upstream (Nulato Hills) portion of the wilderness. Grayling, salmon, and Dolly Varden trout are found in both rivers.
Andreafsky River | Flora and fauna
There are also a few ponderosa pine in the lower canyon. The North Fork of the Little Sur River supports the largest known population found on public lands of the rare Dudley's lousewort. Endemic to redwood forests, fewer than 10 known locations are known to support the plant.
Little Sur River | Rare vegetation and wildlife
Complex but often sparse vegetation communities adjusted to harsh conditions exist at the border between coulees and grasslands and feature species such as mosses, lichens, black greasewood ("Sarcobatus vermiculatus"), rabbitbrush ("Chrysothamnus nauseosus"), long-leaved sage, sagebrush ("Artemisia frigida"), and povertyweed ("Monolepis nuttalliana"). The endangered in Alberta soapweed ("Yucca glauca"), mutually dependent upon the yucca moth ("Tegeticula yuccasella"), also occurs in the area.
Milk River Natural Area | Flora
Special permits are required to fish on either reservation. Plants in the riparian zones include several kinds of willows and cottonwoods, as well as alders and saltcedar. Beaver, muskrats, great blue herons, mallards, and osprey are among the vertebrates found in or near the river.
Black River (Arizona) | Flora and fauna
They contain white or pinkish ray florets surrounding small yellow disc florets. It often flowers twice a year. "Erigeron kachinensis" was discovered and described in 1968 in Utah, near Kachina Natural Bridge in Natural Bridges National Monument. It was discovered in the Dolores River Canyon in Colorado in 1977. It grows in hanging gardens and seeps in the cracks of rock faces. The rock is Cedar Mesa Sandstone. The plant relies on seeps of water coming from the rock cracks. If the water dries up, as in a drought, the plants die. Associated plants in the habitat include "Aquilegia micrantha" (Mancos columbine), "Calamagrostis scopulorum", "Zigadenus vaginatus" (death camas), and "Cirsium calcareum" (Cainville thistle).
Erigeron kachinensis | Introduction
The flora consists of deciduous forest and mesquite. There are hounds tooth, grass pastures, zacatón, Colorado grass, blue glandular grama filiform, bilberry cactus, buffalo grass, false grass, foxtail, woolly and wolfhounds, along with forage species and huaraches, several species of cactus and cacahuetes, etc.
Apaseo el Grande | Vegetation
Plants found in riparian zones along the river include Arizona alder, sycamore, and walnut trees; a variety of willows; reeds, cattails, box elder, and saltcedar, among others. Aquatic vertebrates along the Verde River include North American beaver, belted kingfishers, great blue herons, otters, Chiricahua leopard frogs, Sonoran mud turtles, and others. Among the 27 species of fish found in the river are carp, flathead catfish, roundtail chub, Gila chub, bass, desert sucker, mosquitofish, red shiner, and Sonora sucker. Beaver were trapped "with considerable success" on the Verde River by fur trappers led by Ewing Young, and including Kit Carson, dating to 1829.
Verde River | Flora and fauna
The principal tributaries of the Colorado River of North America are the Gila River, the San Juan River, the Green River, and the Gunnison River.
List of tributaries of the Colorado River | Introduction
The following is a tree demonstrating the points at which the major and minor tributaries of the Colorado River branch off from the main river and from each other.
List of tributaries of the Colorado River | Tributary tree
The native flora of the canon and its sides is "quite extensive", with at least 200 varieties of vegetation. There are about 50 varieties of perennials, 25 varieties of shrubs, 3 of spruce, 3 of juniper and 3 or 4 of pines. Wild flowers, flowering shrubs, moss, many types of wild berries and other trees and plants are found in the canon. Grouse, squirrels, birds and some wild animals are native to the canyon.
Cascade, Colorado | Flora and fauna
For example, the Gila River—formerly one of the Colorado's largest tributaries—contributes little more than a trickle in most years due to use of its water by cities and farms in central Arizona. The average flow rate of the Colorado at the northernmost point of the Mexico–United States border (NIB, or Northerly International Boundary) is about , per year—less than a tenth of the natural flow—due to upstream water use. Below this point, the remaining flow is diverted to irrigate the Mexicali Valley, leaving a dry riverbed from Morelos Dam to the sea that is supplemented by intermittent flows of irrigation drainage water.
Colorado River | Discharge
The humpback chub historically ranged from below present-day Hoover Dam in the Colorado River upstream into Colorado, and in the larger portions of Colorado River tributaries in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. Presently the species is restricted to six population centers in: 1) the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers in Grand Canyon, Arizona; 2) the Colorado River in Cataract Canyon, Utah; 3) the Colorado River in Black Rocks, Colorado, and Westwater Canyon, Utah; 4) the Green River in Desolation and Gray canyons, Utah; 5) the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah; 6) and the Yampa River in Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado.
Humpback chub | Range
Bird species include the peregrine falcon, bald eagle, golden eagle, ferruginous hawk, goshawk, gray-crowned rosy finch, chukar partridge, pileated woodpecker, American dipper, and great gray owl. Rivers and creeks support steelhead and trout. Plant communities range from low-elevation grasslands and ponderosa pine forest to alpine meadows. Engelmann spruce, mountain hemlock, subalpine fir and whitebark pine can be found in the higher elevations, with Douglas-fir, white fir, western larch, and lodgepole pine elsewhere. Wildflowers include clarkia, Indian paintbrush, sego lily, elephanthead, larkspur, shooting star, and bluebell. Rocky bluffs in the Hells Canyon area support prickly pear cactus and poison ivy.
Wallowa–Whitman National Forest | Ecology
The Rio Grande, or "Big River," flows from the Maribondo Hydroelectric Plant's reservoir. Its current is fast and strong, and one can appreciate many interesting rock formations and fine-sand beaches on along its shores. The area has a wide variety of flora and fauna, which includes otters and 170 species of native fish.
Icém | Rio Grande
The Colorado River is joined by five significant tributaries: the Concho River, Pecan Bayou, the Llano River, the San Saba River and the Pedernales River. Beals Creek is also a tributary fed by arroyos such as the Sulphur Springs Draw, the Johnson Draw, and the McKenzie, Seminole, Monument, Mustang, and Midland draws.
Colorado River (Texas) | Major tributaries
Bald Cypress, sycamores, pecan, live oak, ashe juniper, and mesquite can be found in the park.
Guadalupe River State Park | Flora
Along the old river course can be found plants like carex and other semi-aquatic plants, shrubs of Glossy Buckthorn, black alder and groves of elm, field maple and pedunculate oak. In the reserve grows some particular plants as the Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum), the 'Four Leaf Clover' (Marsilea quadrifolia). The rarest one is the Utricularia vulgaris, a rootless aquatic carnivorous plant who capture small insects and in summer shows beautiful yellow flowers sprouting from water.
Riserva naturale orientata Parma Morta | Flora
The Bèze cave is home to an endemic species, the Burgundy "Asellus aquaticus", a freshwater species studied in 1969 by J.-P. Henry and G. Magniez. The underground river is home to crustaceans such as "niphargus". Fish such as minnow, sculpin and trout can sometimes be found in one of the sumps. There are five species of bats. The flora is composed of ferns that have colonized the geological chimneys. Various types of moss and some fungi can also be observed.
Bèze (river) | Fauna and flora
The vegetation of the river basin includes mosses, lichens, dwarf shrubs, and sedge. The chum salmon and the sockeye salmon are common in the waters of the Mayn.
Mayn | Flora and fauna
Because the Yampa River maintains a relatively natural flow pattern, it supports a productive riparian zone environment along much of its course. In addition, much of the river is unconstrained by levees allowing it to maintain its natural floodplain. This is also true of its main tributary, the Little Snake River. The Yampa River Preserve west of Steamboat Springs protects a rare riparian forest type consisting of narrowleaf cottonwood, box elder and red-osier dogwood that was once more common in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The Yampa's warm, silty waters are an ideal spawning ground for native fish such as the Colorado pikeminnow and humpback chub which have largely disappeared from dammed waterways in other parts of the Colorado River system.
Yampa River | Ecology
The Lower Colorado River Valley has unique plant communities because it is it is the most arid part of the desert and it has the highest temperatures, in excess of during the summer. The low humidity means that most plants must have mechanisms that deal with severe water loss through evaporation. The soils tend to be typical desert soils, coarse and without well-developed organic horizons, and plants can only obtain soil water during and very soon after the infrequent rains. Dominant plants in the valleys are low shrubs such as "Ambrosia dumosa" (white bursage) and "Larrea tridentata" (creosote bush). Over half of the floral diversity comprises annual species, with even higher percentages in drier habitats.
Lower Colorado River Valley | Flora
At one time, the banks of the Colorado River were lined with cottonwood and willow forests, sustained by the river’s natural periodic flooding. Animals depended on this green forest oasis for breeding, resting, feeding, and shade. Woodcutting during the steamboat era, clearing for agriculture, wild fire, exotic plants like salt cedar, and use of dams for flood prevention have devastated cottonwood and willow stands along the lower Colorado River. Some animals that depended the riparian forests, such as the southwestern willow flycatcher ("Empidonax traillii extimus"), have become endangered.
Imperial National Wildlife Refuge | Forest in the Desert
In the Colorado Desert's arid environment, aquatic and wetland habitats are limited in extent but are critically important to wildlife. Runoff from seasonal rains and groundwater emergence flow seasonally in desert bajadas and washes, arroyos, and ephemeral streams, and brine lakes. Springs and seeps feed oases, freshwater marshes, and a few foothill perennial streams year round. desert riparian vegetation communities dominated by cottonwood, willow, and non-native tamarisk. Two of the region's most significant aquatic systems are the Salton Sea and the Colorado River. While most desert wildlife depend on aquatic habitats as water sources, a number of species, such as the arroyo toad, desert pupfish, Yuma rail, and southwestern willow flycatcher, are restricted to these habitats.
Flora of the Colorado Desert | Wetland biota
River mouth: Valley thicket, dune thicket, riparian vegetation and fynbos. The eastern Cape giant cycad, the red and the white milkwood are protected trees. Other significant species include the acacia, white pear, Karoo boer-bean, "Strelitzia nicolai", dune poison bush, wild plum, coral tree and small knobwood.
Great Fish River | Flora
The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing through Wyoming and Utah for most of its course, except for into western Colorado. Much of the route is through the Colorado Plateau and through some of the most spectacular canyons in the United States. It is only slightly smaller than the Colorado when the two rivers merge, but typically carries a larger load of silt.
Green River (Colorado River tributary) | Introduction
In Utah it meanders southwest across the Yampa Plateau and through the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation and the Ouray National Wildlife Refuge. Two miles south of Ouray, Utah, it is joined by Duchesne River, and three miles (5 km) downstream by the White River. Ten miles farther downstream it is joined by the Willow River. South of the plateau, it is joined by Nine Mile Creek, then enters the Roan Cliffs where it flows south through the back-to-back Desolation and Gray canyons, with a combined length of 120 mi (192 km). In Gray Canyon, it is joined by the Price River.
Green River (Colorado River tributary) | Description
The Upper Tuchodi valley runs between mountains with dwarf willow, dwarf birch, alpine grasses, sedges and lichen above the tree line, which is about above sea level. Lower down, there are forests of lodgepole pine and white and black spruce. White spruce and aspen, and some balsam poplar, grow along the riverside, and there are willows and wildflowers on the sandy gravel bars of the river. Where the river leaves the Rockies and enters the eastern foothills, there has been large-scale burning to enhance wildlife range. This has caused formation of young aspen stands and grasslands. In this area the floodplain of the river is narrower, running between high sandstone and shale hills with steep sides through narrow gorges with many shallow rapids.
Tuchodi River | Flora
Riparian plants, such as Fremont Cottonwood - "Populus fremontii", flank the creek banks.
Carpenter Canyon | Plants
The loss of freshwater flows to the delta over the twentieth century has reduced delta wetlands to about 5 percent of their original extent, and non-native species have compromised the ecological health of much of what remains. Stress on ecosystems has allowed invasive plants to out-compete native species along Colorado River riparian areas. Native forests of cottonwood and willow have yielded to sand and mudflats dominated by the nonnative tamarisk (also known as salt cedar), arrow-weed, and iodine bush, a transformation that has decreased the habitat value of the riparian forest.
Colorado River Delta | After dam construction
It is green and sometimes purple-speckled. This species is found mainly in Colorado, and there is one occurrence in the canyon of the Colorado River in Utah. This has not been surveyed recently but it probably survives in the canyon. It grows in pinyon-juniper woodland habitat, as well as shrublands and desert scrub. It usually grows in open areas on slopes and in arroyos. It may be locally common.
Astragalus wetherillii | Introduction
The eastern side of the area is part of the Chimney Cliffs and Russell Fork special biological area, home to a state-listed plant and federally threatened plant. A population of the rare Virgiia spiraea plant is found in the river area. Massive rocks and cliffs profide habitat for calcium rich and iron rich species.
Little Laurel Branch | Natural history
In-stream large woody debris, clean clear pools, unsorted substrates, and riffles and runs are associated with populations in the Rio Grande Basin of Colorado. However, (Rees and Miller, 2005), emphasize a lack of knowledge about habitat that is positively correlated and suitable for "C. plebeius". Negative correlations with species abundance and fine particulate are also noted. What's known, is that human impact on the environment and modification to historically occupied rivers and streams has resulted in habitat destruction. Dramatic changes in the natural structure of the Rio Grande river have occurred with almost complete agricultural diversion and allocation of its average annual flow.
Rio Grande sucker | Habitat
The river and stream banks support riparian vegetation dominated by Red River Gum and Coolabah trees.
Clara River | Introduction
Species such as stout paperbark ("Melaleuca preissiana"), swamp paperbark ("Melaleuca rhaphiophylla"), yate ("Eucalyptus cornuta"), Warren River cedar ("Taxandria juniperina"), wonnich ("Callistachys lanceolata"), and various banksias start to dominate.
Donnelly River (Western Australia) | Flora
During the summer season, river trails more prominently display plant species like arrowleaf balsamroot, American brooklime, bigleaf lupine, Douglas's spirea, Indian paintbrush, and monkeyflower plants. On islands in the river, wildflowers occasionally grow after their seeds bloom after falling into the water and accumulating over time. The area is noted for a rare species of Penstemon known as "Penstemon peckii", a wildflower that appears in 7 different colors, which is endemic to the Sisters area. Other plants within the Metolius Preserve include incense cedar trees, nutka rose, ocean spray, snowberry, and vine maple trees. More than 80 species of bird inhabit the Metolius Preserve area such as the white-headed woodpecker.
Black Butte (Oregon) | Ecology
Desert vegetation dominates the park including lechuguilla and grama. Other common plants include sotol, ocotillo and mesquite. Along the Rio Grande and around some of the springs in the park are reeds, willows, and cottonwood and ash trees. The park contains most of the existing populations of the federally threatened Hinckley oak.
Big Bend Ranch State Park | Flora
The largest herd of California bighorn sheep live in the area, as do Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, pronghorn, coyotes, and many smaller mammals. A variety of snakes, including the western rattlesnake, live in the park, which is also home to several lizard species. Frogs, toads, and waterfowl can be found near the river. Fish in the river include Chinook salmon, steelhead, catfish, carp and smallmouth bass. Raptors such as American kestrels and Swainson's hawks frequent the area. Game birds such as the chukar partridge and the ring-necked pheasant are found in the uplands, and migratory birds such as Bullock's oriole and the lazuli bunting visit the park in summer.
Cottonwood Canyon State Park | Fauna and flora
Trees such as birch, pine, beech, and willow abound. Oaks and maples are found in smaller numbers. There is enough moisture and shade for several species of fungi to grow in.
Fenton River | Flora and fauna
Common trees near the spring include Fremont's cottonwoods and white sumac. Along the river are willows, seepwillows, other shrubs, crimson monkeyflower, maidenhair fern and other riparian fauna. Common aquatic invertebrate found in the creek include stoneflies and caddisflies.
Thunder River (Tapeats Creek tributary) | Environment
"P. concinna" is usually found in rivers with moderate current, as well as lakes and tidal marshes.
River cooter | Habitat
Vegetation along the Koyukuk River, sparse along the upper reaches, consists of tundra plants such as dwarf willows and other shrubs, sedges, and lichens. Further downstream at lower elevations, taiga and boreal forest plants are common except in the Koyukuk Flats near the mouth, where sedges and other herbaceous plants dominate the poorly drained muskeg. Trees found in more well-drained areas along the river include mountain alder, trembling aspen, white, and black spruce. Fish species frequenting the lower Koyukuk include Arctic lamprey and sockeye salmon. The sockeye and other salmon species, including Chinook and chum, also thrive along the upper reaches and tributaries.
Koyukuk River | Flora and fauna
Historically, the "M. fulgida" was common and locally abundant throughout the upper Gila River basin of Arizona and New Mexico. In Arizona, this included the Agua Fria, San Pedro, and San Francisco River systems, and the Gila, Salt and Verde Rivers and major tributaries upstream of present-day Phoenix. In New Mexico, it included San Francisco River, Gila River, and the East, Middle and West Forks of the Gila. Presently, the species is found in Aravaipa Creek, a tributary of the San Pedro River, Eagle Creek, and the upper Verde River system in Arizona, and the upper Gila River system in New Mexico.
Spikedace | Range
The river has a diverse flora and fauna, including trout, crayfish and otters.
Bergantes (river) | Ecology
Fish species in the Bill Williams river include largemouth bass, yellow bullhead, green sunfish, bluegill, carp, mosquitofish, red shiner, razorback sucker, and others. The lowland leopard frog, North American river otter, beaver, muskrat, Arizona toad, and spiny-spotted turtle are among the major aquatic vertebrates found in or near the water. Plants in the riparian zones include several kinds of willows as well as bulrushes, and saltcedar. The Bill Williams Wildlife Refuge near Parker is frequented by at least 335 species of birds.
Bill Williams River | Flora and fauna
The Chetco River watershed is covered primarily by temperate coniferous forest, which includes species such as Douglas fir, western hemlock, white fir, Port Orford cedar, California incense cedar, and Sitka spruce. Jeffrey pine, knobcone pine, and golden chinquapin have also been identified. Hardwoods including tanoak, bigleaf maple, red alder, and Pacific madrone are common. Manzanita, hazelnut, vine maple, western skunk cabbage, and multiple species of berries and grasses make up the understory. Kalmiopsis, a flowering evergreen shrub and the namesake of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, only grows in the Siskiyou Mountains. Several noxious weeds have also been identified, including gorse, Scotch broom, blackberries, and thistles.
Chetco River | Flora and fauna
Numerous amphibians (Common toads, newts and frogs) are found in and along the river.
Canche | Flora and fauna
River and Tributary Locations determined by examining maps available at USGS national atlas [[Category:Colorado River]] [[Category:Tributaries of the Colorado River| ]] [[Category:Lists of river tributaries|Colorado]] [[Category:Lists of river tributaries of the United States|Colorado]]
List of tributaries of the Colorado River | References
The river's principal tributaries are the Concho River, Pecan Bayou, Llano River, San Saba River, and Pedernales River.
List of tributaries of the Colorado River (Texas) | Tributaries
Some of the grasses also grow on former channels of the river. Among the grasses there are sedges such as "Scirpus cubensis", "Cyperus luzulae", "Cyperus ferax" and "Scleria geniculata". The areas of transition between the forest and river hold shrubs and small vines that include "Artemisia artemisiifolia", "Ipomoea carnea", "Polygonum punctatusm", "Justicia obtusifolia", "Alternanthera philoxeroides", "Capironia fistulosa", "Sesbania exasperata", "Mimosa pigra", "Montrichardia linifolia", "Clamatis aculeata", "Senna reticulata", "Phaseolus lineatus", "Rhabdadenia macrostoma" and "Clitonia triquetum". The forest holds larger trees such as "Hura crepitans", "Triplaris surinamensis", "Calycophyllum spruceanum", "Cedrela oderata", "Pseudobombax munguba", "Virola surinamensis" and "Ceiba pentandra". A variety of trees produce fleshy fruit that supports species of fruit eating primates, bats and fish that enter the forest when it is flooded.
Gurupa várzea | Flora
To reach the first public access on the Scenic River section, drive northeast of Valentine on Nebraska Highway 12 until the sign for the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge put-in. Considered an extraordinary example of a Great Plains river, the Niobrara is home to over 500 plant species many at or beyond their usual range, including many not otherwise naturally found within several hundred miles. These species include birch, ponderosa pine and a rare hybrid aspen (quaking X bigtooth). Species from six different vegetation communities can be found in proximity. Northern boreal forest types occur on north facing slopes where shade and abundant ground water create cooler microclimates.
Niobrara National Scenic River | Introduction
This species is distributed throughout five Colorado counties, with the center of distribution in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and along the Gunnison River. There are about 28 occurrences. Fourteen are on National Park Service lands, eight are on United States Forest Service lands, and five are on Bureau of Land Management lands. Only one is on privately owned land.
Aliciella penstemonoides | Introduction
Two small hills have been identified near the Merapok River which may represent the type locality, but both have been logged and no plants of "N. hemsleyana" could be found.
Nepenthes hemsleyana | Distribution
Another large community consists of open grassland, with blue grama ("Bouteloua gracilis"), galleta ("Pleuraphis jamesii"), and various species of "Stipa" being the most common grasses. Common woody shrubs include chamisa ("Chrysothamnus nauseosus"), Apache plume ("Fallugia paradoxa"), four-wing saltbush ("Atriplex canescens"), and big sagebrush ("Artemisia tridentata"). Predatory mammals known to live in the Caja del Rio include black bear ("Ursus americanus"), mountain lion ("Felis concolor"), bobcat ("Lynx rufus"), coyote ("Canis latrans"), fox ("Vulpes" spp.), gray fox ("Urocyon cinereoargenteus"), ringtail ("Bassariscus astutus"), badger ("Taxidea taxus"), long-tailed weasel ("Mustela frenata"), western spotted skunk ("Spilogale gracilis"), and striped skunk ("Mephitis mephitis"). Non-predatory mammals known to be present include Rocky Mountain elk ("Cervus elaphus"), mule deer ("Odocoileus hemionus"), raccoon ("Procyon lotor"), porcupine ("Erethizon dorsatum"), black-tailed jackrabbit ("Lepus californicus"), desert cottontail, ("Sylvilagus auduboni"), white-throated woodrat ("Neotoma albigula"), Botta's pocket gopher ("Thomomys bottae"), Colorado chipmunk ("Neotamias quadrivittatus"), pinyon mouse ("Peromyscus truei"), and deer mouse ("Peromyscus" spp.).
Caja del Rio | Ecology
In some regions vegetations is restricted to growing on average fifteen meters; a result of shallow soils over limestone and strong winds. Flowering and fruiting specimens of Cremastosperma yamayakatense grow up to heights of around 6 to 8 metres in the Cenepa River region in contrast to the Bagua and Condorcanqui provinces where the same species have been recorded having an average of 1.5 meters. A vast number of frog species have been discovered around the basin, primarily in habitats that consisted of clear and black waters, including some lentic environments. It was observed that there is a great Otter presence in the region, this highlights the copiousness of fish in the upper stretches of the Cenepa river basin.
Cenepa River | Local flora and fauna
The carr and heath/bog areas along the Schwalm provide a diverse habitat for fauna and flora. Frogs, dragonflies, damselflies, bluethroat, kingfisher and golden oriole are to be found as are water crowfoot, bog myrtle and other rare plants. brown trout, barbel and chub are at home in the river; along the river banks are also various members of the eter water rat family.
Schwalm (Meuse) | Flora and fauna
Another plant recently identified near the Ritz Lake is given the name "Campanula paradoxa", which “forms a rosette of large leaves with lateral shoots producing inflorescence of white flowers.” Other garden plant species found in the valley are the local bellflowers namely "C. albovii" and "C. dzyschrica". A few other less known flower plants known here are: The "Aquilegia gegica" (pale-blue columbine), the "Ranunculus suukensis" (the buttercup which has large flowers up to in diameter) and the endemic variety of "Woronowia speciosa" (species of the rose family); this endemic flower though closely correlated to Geum differs from it due to its larger size of flowers and leaves.
Bzyb River | Flora and fauna
In the Cem canyon, 813 plant species have been identified, with a total of 959 in the wider canyon area. The canyon is host to a quarter of the total plant species of Montenegro.
Cem (river) | Ecosystem
These majestic birds soar and dive near the cliffs. Forty different plant communities containing at least 1,342 species and 54 rare plants have been identified in the gorge.
New River Gorge National River | Diverse flora and fauna
The water of the river is extremely clear due to the lack of nutrients and small particles. Almost unique is the bright red - pink coloration of riverbed after the rainy period in the end of June - November. This color is caused by great quantities of endemic plant species "Macarenia clavígera". This plant is found in some more local rivers, such as the Caño Siete Machos. These red plants adhere tightly to rocks in places where the river has faster current.
Caño Cristales | Fauna and flora
The streambed at the mouth is essentially covered by water dependent plant species. These include willow ("Salix" sp.), sedge ("Carex" sp.), stream monkey flower ("Mimulus" sp.) and red alder ("Alnus oregona"). These and other riparian plants form the food resource of many faunal species, either directly or indirectly. Many orb web weaving spiders at the mouth indicates the abundance of insects utilized as prey by certain vertebrates such as salamanders, tree frogs, lizards, and many resident and migratory birds. The site is also utilized for avafaunal nesting and breeding. In the 1989 survey by Earth Metrics, no sightings of the endangered San Francisco garter snake were made, although this snake was observed at nearby Denniston Creek.
Arroyo de en Medio | Mouth
Flora along the river is varied. Bryophytes and algae are common with an abundance of filamentous green algae. "Crocosmia", Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam are the only invasive species recorded along the river.
River Dodder | Flora
Most of the upper river is a swift whitewater stream ranging from wide, the depth ranging from , with a few notable exceptions, such as the Blackrocks reach where the river is nearly deep. In a few areas, such as the marshy Kawuneeche Valley near the headwaters and the Grand Valley, it exhibits braided characteristics. Arcing northwest, the Colorado begins to cut across the eponymous Colorado Plateau, a vast area of high desert centered at the Four Corners of the southwestern United States. Here, the climate becomes significantly drier than that in the Rocky Mountains, and the river becomes entrenched in progressively deeper gorges of bare rock, beginning with Ruby Canyon and then Westwater Canyon as it enters Utah, now once again heading southwest.
Colorado River | Course
A few amphibians and reptiles that have been spotted on the preserve include the California Tiger Salamander(Ambystoma californiense), the Giant Garter Snake(Thamnophis gigas), the Western Fence Lizard(Sceloporus occidentalis), and the Western Pond Turtle(Actinemys marmorata).
Cosumnes River Preserve | Flora and fauna
Its sources are on the eastern slopes of the Andes in the same latitude as the Chilean volcano Tinguiririca (about 34° 48' S.) and takes a generally east-southeast course toward the Atlantic Ocean. After leaving the vicinity of the Andes, the Colorado flows through a barren, arid territory, and receives no tributary of note except the Salado (or "Curacó") from La Pampa Province—although it was once an outlet of the now-closed lake basin of Laguna Urre Lauquen. The bottom lands of the Colorado, in its course across Patagonia, are fertile and wooded, but too small in area to support more than a small, scattered population.
Colorado River (Argentina) | Course
The rare Siskiyou chipmunk is endemic to the Klamath Mountains. Steelhead and chinook and coho salmon are the most common anadromous fish that inhabit the Chetco River. Steelhead are abundant and have been spotted in most major and minor streams. Chinook salmon usually travel as far as Boulder Creek, about halfway between the Chetco's headwaters and its mouth. Coho also generally stay in this area, but some have been found in the Granite and Carter Creek area, about above Boulder Creek. Coastal cutthroat trout can be found all around the watershed; some migrate to the ocean, while others live in the river and its tributaries year round.
Chetco River | Flora and fauna
Despite its small watershed area and habitat loss to suburbanization, the Assabet River and greater Concord River basin host many native and naturalized species of trees, wildflowers, aquatic plants, birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans, and insects. Introduced invasive plants threaten the continued health and presence of native plants along the river.
Assabet River | Biology
Large springs, some of them hot, are believed to be the outflow from flooded lava tube systems. Ecosystems vary from willow and cottonwood stands along the rivers to sagebrush plains on the plateau, transitioning to pinyon pine in the hills and ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir in the mountains. The monument provides habitat for a variety of resident and migrant birds. Large mammals include elk, mule deer, pronghorn and bighorn sheep, as well as predators such as cougar, bobcat, river otters, black bears and coyotes. The plateau provides winter range for many of the larger grazing animals.
Rio Grande del Norte National Monument | Environment
Of the 90 mammal species found along the Colorado River corridor, 18 are rodents and 22 are bats.
Grand Canyon | Animals
More than 1,000 plant species can be found in the reservation, including Allium obliquum, Dianthus integripetalus, Viola jobi.
Turda Gorge | Flora
The vegetation along the river is dominated by big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, greasewood, needlegrass, ricegrass, and squirreltail. Trees are rare along the Ana River. However, there are a few native western juniper and small cottonwood and willow groves that were planted by early homesteaders.
Ana River | Course
The river's steep canyons and high chaparral-covered ridges are host to a number of rare species including the Santa Lucia Fir, Dudley's lousewort, and virgin stands of old-growth redwood.
Little Sur River | Introduction