The headwaters of the San Juan River begin on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The headwaters, located at over 14,000 feet in eleÂvation, are the beginning of what down stream is to become the second largest tribuÂtary to the Colorado River (San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program, 1992). The San Juan River is located within the San Juan River Basin (Fig. 1) which drains approximately 38,000 square miles of south western Colorado, northwestern New MexiÂco, southeastern Utah, and northeastern Arizona. Many tributaries add to the San Juan with the largest being the Animas river. The San Juan River flows approximately 360 miles from headwaters in Colorado to the Glen Canyon National [...]
Summary
The headwaters of the San Juan River begin on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The headwaters, located at over 14,000 feet in eleÂvation, are the beginning of what down stream is to become the second largest tribuÂtary to the Colorado River (San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program, 1992). The San Juan River is located within the San Juan River Basin (Fig. 1) which drains approximately 38,000 square miles of south western Colorado, northwestern New MexiÂco, southeastern Utah, and northeastern Arizona. Many tributaries add to the San Juan with the largest being the Animas river. The San Juan River flows approximately 360 miles from headwaters in Colorado to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah. There are approximately 7 diversions along the river concentrated between Navajo reserÂvoir and Shiprock, NM. These diversions are used for irrigation, municipal purposes, and for the generation of power. Weirs constructÂed for diversion purposes are believed to preÂvent the upstream movement of native fish species. Historically, the Colorado squawfish and the razorback sucker were found much further upriver prior to the construction of the weirs and Navajo dam (NIIP Consulta tion, 1992, SJRBRIP, 1992).
Published in Riparian Management: Common Threads and Shared Interests. A western regional conference on river management strategies, on pages 323 - 327, in 1993.