Editing Colorado (section)

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Colorado}}
[[File:Colorado geographic map-en.svg|thumb]]

Colorado is notable for its diverse geography, which includes alpine mountains, high plains, deserts with huge sand dunes, and deep canyons. In 1861, the [[Thirty-sixth United States Congress|United States Congress]] defined the boundaries of the new [[Territory of Colorado]] exclusively by lines of [[latitude]] and [[longitude]], stretching from [[37th parallel north|37°N]] to [[41st parallel north|41°N]] latitude, and from [[25th meridian west from Washington|102°02′48″W]] to [[32nd meridian west from Washington|109°02′48″W]] longitude ([[25th meridian west from Washington|25°W]] to [[32nd meridian west from Washington|32°W]] from the [[Washington Meridian]]).<ref name="ColoradoOrganicAct">{{cite web|url=https://govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pdf/stat/12/STATUTE-12-Pg172.pdf|title=An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado|work=[[Congressional Record]]|publisher=[[Thirty-sixth United States Congress]]|date=February 28, 1861|pages=172–177|access-date=May 28, 2023}}</ref> After {{age|1861|02|28}} years of government surveys, the borders of Colorado were officially defined by 697 [[boundary marker]]s and 697 [[Border|straight boundary lines]].<ref name="FM">{{cite web|publisher=Fascinating Maps|title=Colorado is NOT a perfect rectangle|url=https://fascinatingmaps.com/colorado-is-not-a-perfect-rectangle/|access-date=November 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617202941/https://fascinatingmaps.com/colorado-is-not-a-perfect-rectangle/|archive-date=June 17, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Colorado, [[Wyoming]], and [[Utah]] are the only states that have their borders defined solely by straight boundary lines with no natural features.<ref name="BT">{{cite web|publisher=The Big Think, Inc.|title=Colorado is a rectangle? Think again.|date=October 31, 2018|url=https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/colorado-is-not-a-rectangle|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref> The southwest corner of Colorado is the [[Four Corners Monument]] at [[37th parallel north|36°59′56″N]], [[32nd meridian west from Washington|109°2′43″W]].<ref name="FourCorners">{{cite web|title=Shared Solution: Four Corners|url=https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/OPUS/getDatasheet.jsp?PID=BBCD57&ts=10354154008&style=modern|work=NGS Survey Monument Data Sheet|publisher=[[United States National Geodetic Survey]]|date=July 7, 2010|access-date=May 27, 2023}}</ref>{{efn|name="FourCornersMonument"|The official [[Four Corners Monument]] is located at [[37th parallel north|36°59'56.31608″N]], [[32nd meridian west from Washington|109°2'42.62075"W]], {{convert|574|ft}} southeast of the [[37th parallel north|37°N]], [[32nd meridian west from Washington|109°02′48″W]] location [[Thirty-sixth United States Congress|Congress]] originally designated.}} The [[Four Corners Monument]], located at the place where Colorado, [[New Mexico]], [[Arizona]], and [[Utah]] meet, is the only place in the United States where four states meet.<ref name=BT/>

===Plains===
[[File:Picketwire Canyon.jpg|thumb|The arid high plains in Southeastern Colorado]]

Approximately half of Colorado is flat and rolling land. East of the Rocky Mountains is the [[Colorado Eastern Plains]] of the [[High Plains (United States)|High Plains]], the section of the Great Plains within Colorado at elevations ranging from roughly {{convert|3350|to|7500|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.summitpost.org/colorado-county-highpoints/532245|title=Colorado County Highpoints|access-date=February 27, 2012}}</ref> The Colorado plains are mostly prairies but also include [[deciduous forests]], [[butte]]s, and canyons. Precipitation averages {{convert|15|to|25|in|mm}} annually.<ref name="ccc">{{cite web|url=http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/climateofcolorado.php|title=Climate of Colorado|last1=Doesken|first1=Nolan J.|last2=Pielke| first2=Roger A. Sr. |author-link2=Roger A. Pielke|last3=Bliss|first3=Odilia A.P.|date=January 2003|publisher=Colorado Climate Center—Department of Atmospheric Science—[[Colorado State University]]|access-date=January 25, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209230420/http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/climateofcolorado.php|archive-date=February 9, 2009}}</ref>

Eastern Colorado is presently mainly farmland and rangeland, along with small farming villages and towns. [[Maize|Corn]], [[wheat]], [[hay]], [[soybean]]s, and [[oat]]s are all typical crops. Most villages and towns in this region boast both a water tower and a [[grain elevator]]. Irrigation water is available from both surface and subterranean sources. Surface water sources include the [[South Platte]], the [[Arkansas River]], and a few other streams. Subterranean water is generally accessed through [[artesian well]]s. Heavy usage of these wells for irrigation purposes caused underground water reserves to decline in the region. Eastern Colorado also hosts a considerable amount and range of livestock, such as cattle ranches and hog farms.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://coloradosun.com/2019/04/08/colorado-cattle-rustling-brand-inspectors/|title=Colorado cattle rustling's colorful history helps modern brand inspectors keep up with a changing crime|work=The Colorado Sun|access-date=March 27, 2021|last=Simpson|first=Kevin|date=April 8, 2019}}</ref>

===Front Range===
[[File:Condiv.JPG|thumb|[[Front Range]] Peaks west of Denver]]

Roughly 70% of Colorado's population resides along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]] between [[Cheyenne, Wyoming]], and [[Pueblo, Colorado]]. This region is partially protected from prevailing storms that blow in from the Pacific Ocean region by the high Rockies in the middle of Colorado. The "Front Range" includes Denver, [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]], [[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]], Loveland, [[Castle Rock, Colorado|Castle Rock]], Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Greeley, and other townships and municipalities in between. On the other side of the Rockies, the significant population centers in western Colorado (which is known as "The Western Slope") are the cities of [[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]], [[Durango, Colorado|Durango]], and [[Montrose, Colorado|Montrose]].

===Mountains===
{{GeoGroup|article=List of mountain peaks of Colorado|section=Highest major summits}}
{{See also|List of mountain peaks of Colorado}}
[[File:Mt. Elbert.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Elbert]] at {{convert|4401.2|m|order=flip}} is the highest summit of the [[Rocky Mountains]] and Colorado.]]

To the west of the Great Plains of Colorado rises the eastern slope of the [[Rocky Mountains]]. Notable peaks of the Rocky Mountains include [[Longs Peak]], [[Mount Blue Sky]], [[Pikes Peak]], and the [[Spanish Peaks]] near [[Walsenburg, Colorado|Walsenburg]], in southern Colorado. This area drains to the east and the southeast, ultimately either via the [[Mississippi River]] or the [[Rio Grande]] into the [[Gulf of Mexico]].

The Rocky Mountains within Colorado contain 53 true peaks and 58 named peaks<ref>{{Cite web |title=What are 14ers? Colorado's Tallest Mountains |url=https://www.14ers.com/what-are-14ers |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=14ers.com |language=en}}</ref> that are {{convert|14000|ft|m|0|sp=us}} or higher in elevation above sea level, known as [[Colorado fourteeners|fourteeners]].<ref>{{cite web|author=U.S. Forest Service|title=Rocky Mountain Region 14ers |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/recreation/14ers/ |access-date=November 6, 2009}}</ref> These mountains are largely covered with trees such as [[conifer]]s and [[aspen]]s up to the [[tree line]], at an elevation of about {{convert|12000|ft|m|0|sp=us}} in southern Colorado to about {{convert|10500|ft|m|0|sp=us}} in northern Colorado. Above this tree line, only alpine vegetation grows.

Much of the alpine snow melts by mid-August except for a few snow-capped peaks and a few small glaciers. The [[Colorado Mineral Belt]], stretching from the [[San Juan Mountains]] in the southwest to [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] and [[Central City, Colorado|Central City]] on the front range, contains most of the historic gold- and silver-mining districts of Colorado. The 30 [[Highest mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains|highest major summits]] of the Rocky Mountains of North America are all within the state.

The summit of Mount Elbert at {{convert|4400.58|m|order=flip}} elevation in [[Lake County, Colorado|Lake County]] is the highest point in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains of North America.<ref name="Mount_Elbert">{{cite ngs|id=KL0637|designation=Mount Elbert|access-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=US Department of Commerce |first=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Moving Mountains |url=https://geodesy.noaa.gov/web/news/moving-mountains.shtml |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=geodesy.noaa.gov |language=EN-US}}</ref> Colorado is the only U.S. state that lies entirely above 1,000 meters elevation. The point where the [[Arikaree River]] flows out of [[Yuma County, Colorado]], and into [[Cheyenne County, Kansas]], is the lowest in Colorado at {{convert|1011|m|order=flip}} elevation. This point, which is the highest low elevation point of any state,<ref name="USGS" /><ref>{{cite web|author=U.S. Geological Survey |title=Elevations and Distances |url=http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest |access-date=September 8, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080116113632/http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date=January 16, 2008 }}</ref> is higher than the high elevation points of 18 states and the District of Columbia.

====Continental Divide====
[[File:Grays Peak, Colorado - 2007-06-17.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Grays Peak]], at {{convert|4352|m|order=flip}}, is the highest point on the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]] in North America.]]

The [[Continental Divide of the Americas]] extends along the crest of the Rocky Mountains. The area of Colorado to the west of the Continental Divide is called the [[Colorado Western Slope|Western Slope of Colorado]]. West of the Continental Divide, water flows to the southwest via the [[Colorado River (U.S.)|Colorado River]] and the [[Green River (Colorado River)|Green River]] towards the [[Gulf of California]].

Within the interior of the Rocky Mountains are several large parks which are high broad basins. In the north, on the east side of the Continental Divide is the [[North Park (Colorado basin)|North Park of Colorado]]. The North Park is drained by the [[North Platte River]], which flows north into Wyoming and Nebraska. Just to the south of North Park, but on the western side of the Continental Divide, is the [[Middle Park (Colorado basin)|Middle Park of Colorado]], which is drained by the Colorado River. The [[South Park (Park County, Colorado)|South Park of Colorado]] is the region of the [[headwater]]s of the South Platte River.

===South Central region===
[[File:ChicoClosedBasin.jpg|thumb|The high desert lands that make up the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado]]

In south-central Colorado is the large [[San Luis Valley]], where the headwaters of the [[Rio Grande]] are located. The northern part of the valley is the [[San Luis Closed Basin]], an [[endorheic basin]] that helped created the [[Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve|Great Sand Dunes]]. The valley sits between the [[Sangre de Cristo Mountains]] and [[San Juan Mountains]]. The Rio Grande drains due south into New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. Across the [[Sangre de Cristo Range]] to the east of the San Luis Valley lies the [[Wet Mountain Valley]]. These basins, particularly the San Luis Valley, lie along the [[Rio Grande rift]], a major [[geological formation]] of the Rocky Mountains, and its branches.

===Western Slope===
[[File:Maroon Bells (11553)a.jpg|thumb|[[Maroon Bells]], at {{convert|14163|ft|m|abbr=on}}, is part of [[White River National Forest]] and a tourist destination]]
[[File:Colorado National Monument (4939640266).jpg|thumb|The Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction is made up of high desert canyons and sandstone rock formations.]]

The Western Slope of Colorado includes the western face of the Rocky Mountains and all of the area to the western border. This area includes several terrains and climates from alpine mountains to arid deserts. The Western Slope includes many ski resort towns in the Rocky Mountains and towns west to Utah. It is less populous than the Front Range but includes a large number of national parks and monuments.

The northwestern corner of Colorado is a sparsely populated region, and it contains part of the noted [[Dinosaur National Monument]], which not only is a [[paleontology|paleontological]] area, but is also a scenic area of rocky hills, canyons, arid desert, and streambeds. Here, the Green River briefly crosses over into Colorado.

The Western Slope of Colorado is drained by the Colorado River and its tributaries (primarily the [[Gunnison River]], [[Green River (Colorado River)|Green River]], and the [[San Juan River (Colorado River)|San Juan River]]). The Colorado River flows through [[Glenwood Canyon]], and then through an arid valley made up of desert from [[Rifle, Colorado|Rifle]] to [[Parachute, Colorado|Parachute]], through the desert canyon of [[De Beque Canyon]], and into the arid desert of [[Grand Valley (Colorado-Utah)|Grand Valley]], where the city of Grand Junction is located.

Also prominent is the [[Grand Mesa]], which lies to the southeast of Grand Junction; the high San Juan Mountains, a rugged mountain range; and to the north and west of the San Juan Mountains, the [[Colorado Plateau]].

[[Grand Junction, Colorado]], at the confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers, is the largest city on the Western Slope. Grand Junction and Durango are the only major centers of [[television broadcasting]] west of the Continental Divide in Colorado, though most mountain resort communities publish daily newspapers. Grand Junction is located at the juncture of [[Interstate 70 in Colorado|Interstate 70]] and US 50, the only major highways in western Colorado. Grand Junction is also along the major railroad of the Western Slope, the [[Union Pacific]]. This railroad also provides the tracks for [[Amtrak]]'s ''[[California Zephyr]]'' passenger train, which crosses the Rocky Mountains between Denver and Grand Junction.

The Western Slope includes multiple notable destinations in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, including [[Glenwood Springs, Colorado|Glenwood Springs]], with its resort hot springs, and the [[ski resort]]s of [[Aspen, Colorado|Aspen]], [[Breckenridge, Colorado|Breckenridge]], [[Vail, Colorado|Vail]], [[Crested Butte, Colorado|Crested Butte]], [[Steamboat Springs, Colorado|Steamboat Springs]], and [[Telluride, Colorado|Telluride]].

Higher education in and near the Western Slope can be found at [[Colorado Mesa University]] in Grand Junction, [[Western Colorado University]] in Gunnison, [[Fort Lewis College]] in Durango, and [[Colorado Mountain College]] in Glenwood Springs and Steamboat Springs.

The [[Four Corners Monument]] in the southwest corner of Colorado marks the common boundary of Colorado, [[New Mexico]], [[Arizona]], and [[Utah]]; the only such place in the United States.
{{See also|List of cities and towns in Colorado|List of counties in Colorado|List of rivers of Colorado|Four Corners Monument}}