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Roaring Fork River
Hardwick Bridge crossing the Roaring Fork River, between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs
Map of the Roaring Fork River
Location
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Physical characteristics
Source	Independence Lake
• location	White River National Forest, Pitkin County
• coordinates	39°08′38″N 106°34′04″W / 39.14389°N 106.56778°W / 39.14389; -106.56778
• elevation	12,490 ft (3,810 m)
Mouth	Colorado River
• location	Glenwood Springs, Garfield County
• coordinates	39°32′57″N 107°19′47″W / 39.54917°N 107.32972°W / 39.54917; -107.32972
• elevation	5,718 ft (1,743 m)
Length	70 mi (110 km)
Basin size	1,453 sq mi (3,760 km)
Discharge
• location	mouth
• average	1,206 cu ft/s (34.2 m/s)
• minimum	180 cu ft/s (5.1 m/s)
• maximum	13,000 cu ft/s (370 m/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Crystal River
• right	Fryingpan River

Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 70 miles (110 km) long, in west central Colorado in the United States. The river drains a populated and economically vital area of the Colorado Western Slope called the Roaring Fork Valley or Roaring Fork Watershed, which includes the resort city of Aspen and the resorts of Aspen/Snowmass.

It rises in the Sawatch Range in eastern Pitkin County, on the west side of Independence Pass on the continental divide. It flows northwest past Aspen, Woody Creek, and Snowmass. It receives the Fryingpan River at Basalt. 1.5 miles (2 km) below Carbondale, it receives the Crystal River from the south. It joins the Colorado in Glenwood Springs. The entire area that drains into the Roaring Fork River is known as the Roaring Fork Watershed. This area is 1,451 square miles (3,760 km) and about the same size as the state of Rhode Island. The river flows through canyons along most of its route and is a popular destination for recreation whitewater rafting. The river supplies water through the Sawatch Range to the Twin Lakes Reservoir via the Twin Lakes Tunnel. Roaring Fork Conservancy is the watershed conservation organization for the Roaring Fork River and its tributaries.

The Roaring Fork is a swift, deep, powerful river with very clear water. It is navigable by small craft throughout most of its length to its confluence with the Colorado. The mean annual flow is 1,206 cu ft/s (34.2 m/s).

See also

• List of rivers of Colorado
• List of tributaries of the Colorado River

References

1. ^ "Roaring Fork River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
2. ^ "USGS Gage #09085000 on the Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs, CO" (PDF). National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 1905–2011. Retrieved 2012-02-27.

External links

• Roaring Fork Watershed
• Roaring Fork Conservancy
• Lodge on the Roaring Fork
• Roaring Fork Anglers

v t e Roaring Fork Valley
Major cities	Aspen Basalt Carbondale Glenwood Springs
Other communities	El Jebel Snowmass Snowmass Village Woody Creek
Near valley	Marble Meredith Redstone
Ski resorts	Aspen Mountain Aspen Highlands Buttermilk Snowmass Sunlight
Bodies of water	Crystal River Fryingpan River Roaring Fork River Ruedi Reservoir

v t e Colorado River system
Jurisdictions	United States Arizona California Colorado Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming Mexico Baja California Sonora
Canyons	Byers Canyon Gore Canyon Red Gorge Glenwood Canyon De Beque Canyon Horsethief Canyon Ruby Canyon Westwater Canyon Cataract Canyon Narrow Canyon Glen Canyon Grand Canyon Marble Canyon Granite Gorge Middle Granite Gorge Lower Granite Gorge Grand Wash Canyon Iceberg Canyon Virgin Canyon Boulder Canyon Black Canyon Pyramid Canyon Mohave Canyon
Natural features	River course Rocky Mountains Colorado River Basin Colorado Plateau Grand Lake Horseshoe Bend Sonoran Desert Mojave Desert Lower Colorado River Valley Mohave Valley Parker Valley Palo Verde Valley Colorado Desert Alamo River New River Salton Sea Imperial Valley Delta Montague Island Gulf of California/Sea of Cortez
Tributaries	Blue River Dirty Devil River Dolores River Escalante River Eagle River Fraser River Gila River Green River Gunnison River Kanab Creek Little Colorado River Paria River Roaring Fork River San Juan River Thunder River/Tapeats Creek Virgin River Las Vegas Wash Williams Fork Río Hardy
Engineering	Mainstem dams Shadow Mountain Granby Windy Gap Grand Valley Price-Stubb Glen Canyon Hoover Davis Parker Headgate Rock Palo Verde Imperial Laguna Morelos Major reservoirs Fontenelle Reservoir Flaming Gorge Reservoir Blue Mesa Reservoir Navajo Lake Lake Powell Lake Mead Lake Mohave Lake Havasu Imperial Reservoir Theodore Roosevelt Lake San Carlos Lake Aqueducts and canals Grand Ditch Colorado River Aqueduct San Diego Aqueduct Central Arizona Project All-American Canal Alamo Canal Coachella Canal Water projects Boulder Canyon Project Colorado–Big Thompson Project Colorado River Storage Project Grand Valley AVA Yuma Project
Designated areas	Arches National Park Canyonlands National Park Colorado National Monument Dead Horse Point State Park Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Grand Canyon National Park Lake Mead National Recreation Area Rocky Mountain National Park
Related topics	Arizona v. California Colorado River Board of California Colorado River Compact Floyd Dominy Lee's Ferry International Boundary and Water Commission Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Rapids and features U.S. Bureau of Reclamation William Mulholland

• Rivers of Pitkin County, Colorado
• Rivers of Eagle County, Colorado
• Rivers of Garfield County, Colorado
• Glenwood Springs, Colorado
• Rivers of Colorado
• Roaring Fork Valley
• Tributaries of the Colorado River in Colorado