Virgin River at Littlefield
Hot Creek near Sunnyside
Muddy River near Glendale
Las Vegas Wash below Lake Las Vegas
Colorado River below Hoover Dam
The Colorado River is one of the longest rivers in the Western United States. It begins in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and flows southwestward until it reaches Mexico where it becomes a small stream or dry riverbed. The Colorado River forms the border between southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. In Nevada, Hoover Dam and Davis Dam control the flow of the river and create two reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. Hoover Dam and Davis Dam both generate hydroelectric power for Nevada and neighboring states.
Use of water from the Colorado River is carefully controlled by the Colorado River Compact, a 1922 agreement which specifies the allocation of water rights between Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Nevada. In addition to the Colorado River Compact, several other laws, contracts, and guidelines define the "Law of the River."
The Colorado River Basin (State of Nevada region 13) covers just over 2,500 square miles in southern Nevada and includes the following hydrographic areas: Dry Valley, Rose Valley, Eagle Valley, Spring Valley, Patterson Valley, Panaca Valley, Clover Valley, Lower Meadow Valley Wash, Kane Springs Valley, White River Valley, Pahroc Valley, Pahranagat Valley, Coyote Springs Valley, Three Lakes Valley, Las Vegas Valley, Colorado River Valley, Piute Valley, Black Mountains Area, Garnet Valley, Hidden Valley, California Wash, Muddy River Springs Area, Lower Moapa Valley, Tule Desert, Virgin River Valley, Gold Butte Area, and Greasewood Area.
The Muddy River and Virgin River also are part of the Colorado River Basin.
USGS Nevada Water Science Center maintains several streamflow gages on the Colorado River.
AVAILABLE DATA
STUDIES IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN
Evaluation of the Migration of Palliative Chemicals Used for Dust Abatement, Clark County, Nevada
Evaporation from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Lower Colorado River Basin, Nevada and Arizona
Monitoring Hydrogeologic Conditions in the Regional Carbonate Aquifer, Clark County, Nevada
Water Quality of Springs in the Spring Mountains
Delineation of Vegetation Using Satellite Imagery, Clark County
Not all completed studies are listed here. If you would like additional information about completed studies, please email the NVWSC at GS-W-NVpublic-info@ usgs.gov.
Find out more about our work in the Colorado River Basin from the links below.
Nevada Water Science Center data sets and tools for the Colorado River Basin are listed below.
Nevada Water Science Center publications for the Colorado River Basin are listed below.
Evaporation from Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, March 2010 through February 2012
Lake Mead--clear and vital
Bottom sediment as a source of organic contaminants in Lake Mead, Nevada, USA
Evaluating lake stratification and temporal trends by using near-continuous water-quality data from automated profiling systems for water years 2005-09, Lake Mead, Arizona and Nevada
Lake water quality: Chapter 4 in A synthesis of aquatic science for management of Lakes Mead and Mohave
A synthesis of aquatic science for management of Lakes Mead and Mohave
Patterns of metal composition and biological condition and their association in male common carp across an environmental contaminant gradient in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada and Arizona, USA
Assessment of multiple sources of anthropogenic and natural chemical inputs to a morphologically complex basin, Lake Mead, USA
Importance of benthic production to fish populations in Lake Mead prior to the establishment of quagga mussels
Sources and distribution of organic compounds using passive samplers in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada and Arizona, and their implications for potential effects on aquatic biota.
Identification of methyl triclosan and halogenated analogues in male common carp (Cyprinus carpio) from Las Vegas Bay and semipermeable membrane devices from Las Vegas Wash, Nevada
Technical Review of Water-Resources Investigations of the Tule Desert, Lincoln County, Southern Nevada
These are the partners that we are working with currently in the Colorado River Basin. A complete list of our partners is available here: Partners page
The Colorado River is one of the longest rivers in the Western United States. It begins in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and flows southwestward until it reaches Mexico where it becomes a small stream or dry riverbed. The Colorado River forms the border between southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. In Nevada, Hoover Dam and Davis Dam control the flow of the river and create two reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. Hoover Dam and Davis Dam both generate hydroelectric power for Nevada and neighboring states.
Use of water from the Colorado River is carefully controlled by the Colorado River Compact, a 1922 agreement which specifies the allocation of water rights between Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Nevada. In addition to the Colorado River Compact, several other laws, contracts, and guidelines define the "Law of the River."
The Colorado River Basin (State of Nevada region 13) covers just over 2,500 square miles in southern Nevada and includes the following hydrographic areas: Dry Valley, Rose Valley, Eagle Valley, Spring Valley, Patterson Valley, Panaca Valley, Clover Valley, Lower Meadow Valley Wash, Kane Springs Valley, White River Valley, Pahroc Valley, Pahranagat Valley, Coyote Springs Valley, Three Lakes Valley, Las Vegas Valley, Colorado River Valley, Piute Valley, Black Mountains Area, Garnet Valley, Hidden Valley, California Wash, Muddy River Springs Area, Lower Moapa Valley, Tule Desert, Virgin River Valley, Gold Butte Area, and Greasewood Area.
The Muddy River and Virgin River also are part of the Colorado River Basin.
USGS Nevada Water Science Center maintains several streamflow gages on the Colorado River.
AVAILABLE DATA
STUDIES IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN
Evaluation of the Migration of Palliative Chemicals Used for Dust Abatement, Clark County, Nevada
Evaporation from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Lower Colorado River Basin, Nevada and Arizona
Monitoring Hydrogeologic Conditions in the Regional Carbonate Aquifer, Clark County, Nevada
Water Quality of Springs in the Spring Mountains
Delineation of Vegetation Using Satellite Imagery, Clark County
Not all completed studies are listed here. If you would like additional information about completed studies, please email the NVWSC at GS-W-NVpublic-info@ usgs.gov.
Find out more about our work in the Colorado River Basin from the links below.
Nevada Water Science Center data sets and tools for the Colorado River Basin are listed below.
Nevada Water Science Center publications for the Colorado River Basin are listed below.
Evaporation from Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, March 2010 through February 2012
Lake Mead--clear and vital
Bottom sediment as a source of organic contaminants in Lake Mead, Nevada, USA
Evaluating lake stratification and temporal trends by using near-continuous water-quality data from automated profiling systems for water years 2005-09, Lake Mead, Arizona and Nevada
Lake water quality: Chapter 4 in A synthesis of aquatic science for management of Lakes Mead and Mohave
A synthesis of aquatic science for management of Lakes Mead and Mohave
Patterns of metal composition and biological condition and their association in male common carp across an environmental contaminant gradient in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada and Arizona, USA
Assessment of multiple sources of anthropogenic and natural chemical inputs to a morphologically complex basin, Lake Mead, USA
Importance of benthic production to fish populations in Lake Mead prior to the establishment of quagga mussels
Sources and distribution of organic compounds using passive samplers in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada and Arizona, and their implications for potential effects on aquatic biota.
Identification of methyl triclosan and halogenated analogues in male common carp (Cyprinus carpio) from Las Vegas Bay and semipermeable membrane devices from Las Vegas Wash, Nevada
Technical Review of Water-Resources Investigations of the Tule Desert, Lincoln County, Southern Nevada
These are the partners that we are working with currently in the Colorado River Basin. A complete list of our partners is available here: Partners page