Length2.3 million m
38.8 millionThumb lengths
77.7 millionOlive lengths
Rocky Mountains to Gulf of California
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Colorado River
The river that carved the Grand Canyon and waters the American West/Rivers
The Colorado River flows 2,330 km from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado through Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California to the Gulf of California in Mexico. Over millions of years, it carved the Grand Canyon, one of the most spectacular geological features on Earth. Today, the Colorado supplies water to about 40 million people and irrigates 2.3 million hectares of farmland, making it the most litigated and regulated river in the world. Due to overuse, the river frequently runs dry before reaching the sea.
Measurements
Drainage basin637 billion m2
49 billionParking spaces
159Rhode Islands
637,000 square kilometers
Average discharge (natural)620 m3
549Porta-potties
238 millionthsGreat Pyramid volumes
954Standard coffins
Per second, before diversions
Source elevation3,104 m
282London double-decker buses
6.87Petronas Tower heights
2 millionStacked pennies
La Poudre Pass, Colorado
Grand Canyon depth1,829 m
61 billionSmoke particles
2,001Walking canes
Maximum depth carved by the river
Grand Canyon length446,000 m
29.7 quintillionUranium nuclei
487,965Walking canes
446 km of canyon carved by the Colorado