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Colorado River

Cultural  
  1. River in the southwestern United States, with its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado, that flows generally southwest through Colorado, Utah, and Arizona; forms the border between Nevada and Arizona and Arizona and California; and then flows through Mexico, emptying into the Gulf of California.


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Source of fresh water for communities in Nevada, Arizona, and California.

The site of the Hoover Dam.

Over millions of years, the force of the river has carved the Grand Canyon in northwestern Arizona.

Example Sentences

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“This is a step in a long process,” said Bill Hasencamp, manager of Colorado River resources for the Metropolitan Water District.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 23, 2026

“It’s a hell of a milestone,” said Jack Schmidt, director of Utah State University’s Center for Colorado River Studies.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 21, 2026

Reaching a consensus would be the best outcome for all users along the Colorado River, Pitt said, because a court battle holds tremendous uncertainty.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 21, 2026

In May, the powerful Imperial Irrigation District nixed Rucci’s plan to buy farmland, leave it fallow and use the allotted water from the Colorado River to cool the data center.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 19, 2026

The Canyon has been created by the Colorado River flowing through the Arizona desert and digging an ever deepening trench, which is now nearly a mile deep and many miles across.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

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