Discovering The Gunnison River: Colorado’s Untamed Natural Wonder

In 1853 Lieutenant John Gunnison was sent to survey a railroad route across Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Colorado's Gunnison River and the town of Gunnison were each named after the Lieutenant, whose route across the state follows much of what is now Highway 50.

Colorado's Gunnison River is vital to the western slope's agriculture, wildlife, and gold-medal fishing areas. The water from the Gunnison River more than doubles the volume of the Colorado River, where the two meet near Grand Junction. Keep going to learn twelve cool facts you may not have known about the Gunnison River.
Read More: Is Colorado's Amazing Black Canyon of the Gunnison a Scary Place?

Colorado's Second-Largest River By Volume

The Gunnison River is the second-largest river by volume in Colorado. The river helps to create Colorado's largest body of water at Blue Mesa Reservoir before it begins to tumble into a deep and narrow canyon that becomes the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The river flows northwest from the Black Canyon to Grand Junction to complete a 180-mile trip to the river's mouth from its headwaters.

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How Old Is Colorado's Gunnison River?

The Gunnison River is believed to have started flowing in force nearly 2 million years ago. Slowly over time, the Gunnison River cut through volcanic and metamorphic rock to form Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Read More: How Deep Is The Colorado River?

Colorado’s Gunnison River is the last major sub-basin that has not been diverted toward the Front Range. Doing so would impact fishing, wildlife, and agriculture projects in several of the state's western counties.

Water from the Gunnison River is vital for Delta, Montrose, and Grand Junction, and the North Fork of the Gunnison is relied on heavily by communities like Hotchkiss and Paonia in Western Delta County.

Keep going to learn 12 cool facts about the Gunnison River you may not have known about.