What is Colorado River?
{{Infobox_river | name = Colorado River | image = Colorado watershed.png | image_size = 220px | image_caption = Map of the Colorado Watershed | source1_location = | mouth = [[Gulf of California]] | subdivision_type1 = Countries | subdivision_name1 = [[United States]], [[Mexico]] | length = 2,330 km (1,450 mi) | source1_elevation = ~2700 m (~9000 ft) | discharge1_avg= 620 m³/s (22,000 ft³/s)<ref>[http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1987/ofr87-242 Largest Rivers in the United States], [[USGS]]; retrieved April 22, 2007.</ref> | basin_size = 629,100 km² (242,900 mi²) }} [[File:Colorado River from Desert View-1000px.jpeg|thumb|300px|Colorado River in the [[Grand Canyon]] from Desert View]] [[File:Colorado River Runners.jpg |thumb|300px|A sheer cliff of Vishnu [[Schist]], a basement [[metamorphic rock]] from 1.75 [[billion]] years ago]] [[File:Colorado River edit.jpg|thumb|300px|The Colorado River next to [[Page, Arizona|Page]]]] The '''Colorado River''' is a [[river]] in the southwestern [[United States]] and northwestern [[Mexico]]. It is approximately 1,450&nbsp;miles (2,330&nbsp;km) long. It drains a part of the dry regions on the western slope of the [[Rocky Mountains]]. The natural course of the river flows into the [[Gulf of California]]. The heavy use of the river as an [[irrigation]] source for the [[Imperial Valley]] has [[desiccation|desiccated]] the lower course of the river in Mexico. Now it no longer always reaches the sea. On its way the Colorado River runs through [[Colorado]], [[Utah]], [[Arizona]], [[Nevada]], [[California]] and Mexico. The Colorado River drains 242,900 sq mi (629,100&nbsp;km²). Total flows of the river range from 4000 cubic feet per second (570 m³/s) in [[drought]]s to 1,000,000&nbsp;ft³/s (28,000 m³/s) in severe floods. With the construction of massive power dams on the lower course of the river, floods of over 70,000&nbsp;ft³/s (2000 m³/s) are rare. The mean flow of the total river before diversion is 22,000&nbsp;ft³/s. Historically, the flow was much higher before water usa