Colorado
- Created by: ofields755
- Created on: 22-02-17 14:26
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- Colorado River Management
- Location
- USA to Mexico
- Starts in the Rockies and reaches the Sea of Cortez
- Drains in seven states
- WCUNANCM
- Aims
- Flood Control
- 6 major dams
- lower basin was most likely to flood
- flooding provided valuable sediment
- River discharge levels totalled 17-20km3 before now 10-12km3
- Hydro- Electricity
- 50 power plants
- Many associated with the largest dams
- Generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity
- Irrigation
- 1.5 million hectares of land supplied with irrigation water
- In the states of Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California and New Mexico
- Farmers have benefitted most form the billions of dollars invested
- Estimates = annual value of agribusiness at $5 billion
- Urban Water Supply
- Growing pop = increased the need for more water
- 3 projects to meet the needs
- Colorado River Aqueduct
- Central Arizona Project
- Big Thompson Project
- Water from the Colorado supplies homes of over 24 million people
- Recreation
- Lakes Powell, Mead and Havasu provide recreational opps for millions of people
- Water based activites e.g. boating and water skiing
- attract tourist dollars
- 700,000 tourists visit the Hoover Dam
- Rafting and boating along the river
- more accessible and safer as water level is monitored
- Flood Control
- Strategies
- Dams and Reservoirs
- 6 major dams
- Used for water storage, HEP and flood control
- They alter the river regime and discharge patterns
- The Hoover Dam and Lake Mead meet the domestic needs of 18 million people
- Generates 4 billion kilowatts of electricity per year
- advantage of recreation and attracting wildlife
- Central Big Thompson Project
- The largest transition water diversion project
- Built between 1938-1957
- Supplies water to 30 cities
- Supplies to 600,000 acres of farmland
- Uses 12 reservoirs, 35 miles of tunnels and 95 miles of canals
- CBT also produces electricity
- The water has to be pumped over the continental divide
- Central Arizonia Project
- Insists of 540km canal
- Crosses the Arizona Desert for the Parker Dam
- Supplies the cities of Phoenix and Tucson
- Aim: to supply water for homes and irrigation water for farms along the route
- Water has to be lifted 900 metres to reach the Tucson Plateau
- 25% of drinking water in Phoenix comes from the CAP
- Dams and Reservoirs
- Location
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