EARTH SCIENCE
CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Colorado Rocky Mountains
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the Sierra Nevada Mountains
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Either A or B
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None of the above
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Detailed explanation-1: -About 90% of Colorado River water originates from melting snowpacks in the Rocky Mountains, such as shown on the photo above at Independence Pass, Colorado (taken in July 1977).
Detailed explanation-2: -In the spring, for example, melting snow feeds the headwaters of the Colorado River, a crucial source for irrigation, hydroelectricity, and drinking water for at least 27 million people in seven states.
Detailed explanation-3: -From its source high in the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado River channels water south nearly 1, 500 miles, over falls, through deserts and canyons, to the lush wetlands of a vast delta in Mexico and into the Gulf of California.
Detailed explanation-4: -Snow in Colorado is an important factor in determining the amount of water that will flow into the Colorado River system each year. About two-thirds of annual flow starts as snow high in the mountains of Colorado.