The Colorado River

Before 1921 the Colorado River was called The Grand River until it joined the Green River in Utah. In 1921 the state of Colorado requested that the Grand River be renamed to "The Colorado". The Spanish had originally called it the "Red River" or Rio Colorado.

The Colorado River still has its red color before it reaches Lake Powell. However since the building of the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams the waters below the Grand Canyon have more of a brown green color.

Before the buiding of the dams the Colorado River was a red brown color all the way to the gulf of California where the Colorado River dumps into the Pacific Ocean. At one time the Colorado River waters carried over one half million tons of red sediment every day into the ocean. Since the buiding of the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams the reduction of sediment carried to the ocean has been significantly reduced.

A jet boat ride along the river from the town of Moab, Utah is a very informative way to see the beautiful canyons formed by the river over thousands of years. Many unique formations of red, brown, and almost white sandstone can be seen along the way.

The picture on this page was an image I photographed from one of thse jet boat rides using a telephoto lens, high ISO, and fast shutter speed to capture the scene in a fast moving boat.

You will find a good example in this Colorado River Gallery of what you might see along the way if you decide to take one of those boat rides.

Click the picture to visit more photos of this area. All pictures in this gallery are for sale. If you would like a print or want to use a photo for commercial use please contact me at alvance@charter.net