Geomorphology and hydrology of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers and implications for habitats used by endangered fishes

Alluvial reaches of the Colorado River near Grand Junction, Colorado, provide important habitat for the endangered Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius) and razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). Populations of these native fishes have declined dramatically in the past several decades, a situation that is often attributed to the hydrological and ecological effects of upstream reservoir operations. This report summarizes research done over the last five years to evaluate the importance of historical changes in streamflow and sediment loads on alluvial reaches of the Colorado River near Grand Junction. In addition, we describe recent changes in the geomorphology of the Colorado River and address the question of...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Average Boundary Shear Stress, Dimensionless Shear Stress, backwaters, bed load sediment, effective discharge, All tags... geomorphology, mean annual discharge, mean annual flood, spawning bars, suspended sediment, Fewer tags