What makes Colorado so AWESOME  Features and Regions What makes Colorado so AWESOME 

Natural Features! What is a natural feature? naturally-created features of the Earth. i.e rivers, canyons, mountains, forests , lakes, soil, plants, animals and the climate

Colorado Rivers Colorado has over 158 named “rivers” or water ways Of these 158 only two, the Cimarron’s and the Green’s headwaters (the beginning of the river) are not located in CO! Colorado Longest Rivers Rio Grande River - 1,896 miles Arkansas River - 1,469 miles Colorado River – 1,450 miles Canadian River- 906 miles Green River- 730 miles North Platte River- 716 miles Cimarron River- 698 miles Smoky Hill River – 575 miles South Platte River- 439 miles

Colorado Mountains There are six different mountain ranges in Colorado Elk Range Front Range San Juan Range Sangre de Cristo Range Sawatch Range Tenmile-Mosquito Range

Mountain Ranges Elk Range Front Range This group of mountains sits on the western side of the continental divide (largely in southern Pitkin and northern Gunnison counties). Most of the range is located within the White River and Gunnison National Forest. There are 6 Fourteeners in this range. This range includes the Maroon Bells, which are the most photographed mountains in all of the US! These are the first mountains that travelers see when coming across the plains. It extends from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Pueblo, Colorado. There are three national forests that are part of the front range they are Pike, Arapaho and Roosevelt. There are 6 Fourteeners in this range which includes 2 favorites among hikers and they are Pikes Peak and Longs Peak.

Mountain Ranges San Juan Mountains Sangre de Cristo This range is located in the southern western area of Colorado They are more a rugged mountain range. The San Juan and Uncompahgre National Forests cover a large portion of the San Juan Mountains. There are 13 Fourteeners located in this range. This range runs on the east side of the Rio Grande Rift, in southern CO It is a narrow range They extend SE from Poncha Pass through south-central Colorado to La Veta Pass. Most of the range is shared by 2 National Forests, San Isabel and the Rio Grande. There are 9 Fourteeners in this range.

Mountain Ranges Sawatch Range Tenmile-Mosquitio The range is located in central Colorado It includes 8 of the 20 highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains. Parts of these ranges are in the White River and San Isabel National Forest. There are 15 Fourteeners here. Included the tallest fourteener, Mt. Elbert and the famous Mount of the Holy Cross It is located in central CO. It is the range you drive through on I-70 west. The two ranges are effectively the same range. They are split only by the Continental Divide Two of the National Forests in this range are the Arapaho and Pike There are 5 Fourteeners in this range.

Colorado Canyons… to name two McInnis Canyons Gunnison Gorge Located west of Grand Junction and Fruita, It encompasses 123,430 acres. Made of sheer sandstone canyons, natural arches, spires and alcoves It’s a peaceful 24-mile stretch of the Colorado River, and 75,000 acres of wilderness designated as the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness.  Just north of Montrose and east of Delta A diverse landscape ranging from adobe badlands to rugged piñon and juniper covered slopes. It is in the heart of the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness Area It is a spectacular black granite and red sandstone double canyon formed by a 14-mile stretch of the Gunnison River.

National Forests There are 9+ National Forest Areas in CO Arapaho National Forest Roosevelt National Forest Pike National Forest Rio Grande National Forest Routt National Forest San Isabel White Rive National Forest Uncompahgre National Forest San Juan National Forest

Colorado Popular Lakes Colorado may be landlocked, but that doesn’t mean we lack shoreline. Lake Dillion Grand Lake Horsetooth Reservoir Lake Granby Lake San Cristobal Vallecito Lake McPhee Lake Grand Mesa Lakes Boulder Reservoir

Colorado Eastern Plains The Eastern Plains are part of the High Plains Make up the westernmost portion of the Great Plains. The area is characterized by rolling plains and is divided by the South Platte River and Arkansas River valleys. T The Eastern Plains rise from approximately 3,400 feet at the eastern border of Colorado with Kansas, 7,500 feet east of the Denver Basin

Colorado Climate In general A combination of high elevation, mid latitude interior continent geography results in a cool, dry but invigorating climate. Temperature can have large swings from during the day into the night Seasonal temperatures change dramatically. During summer there are hot days on the plains, but these are often relieved by afternoon thundershowers. Mountain regions are usually cool. Humidity is low

Land Regions Region  is made up of places that share things in common. In Colorado 5 Different land regions The High Plains The Front Range The Mountains The San Luis Valley The Western Slope

Project I will be putting you in groups … You will be given a certain region. You will create a presentation based on the given region. Presentation Must be a PowerPoint or a Prezie Must included color You must have a work cited page You must included the correct pictures for your region When you finish you will send it to kvite@esdk12.org Read the rubric carefully