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Skill: Land Use
Essential Element 5: Standard 14
Sharing the Colorado River
Introducing the Map
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Daily Geography
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Show students the map of the Colorado River Basin. Talk about how the
Colorado River and its tributaries help to bring water to seven western
states. Read the caption to follow the course of the Colorado River.
Share the following information while the students study the map.
ANSWER KEY
Monday
1. Rocky Mountains
Colorado
Share with students that the Colorado River is one of the major rivers in
the United States. It is 1,450 miles (2,334 km) long.
of
2. 7; Arizona, California,
Colorado, New Mexico,
Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming
• The development of 14 major dams, dozens of canals, aqueducts,
and irrigation projects have allowed the waters of the Colorado
River to spread over seven states.
• The seven states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New
Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
Tuesday
1. Utah; Green River and San
Juan River
• Since 1922, there has been a set amount of water each of the states
may take from the Colorado River.
2. Grand Canyon
Wednesday
1. 14 dams
2. Arizona and Nevada; Lake
Mead
Thursday
1. Gila, Verde, Salt, and San
Pedro Rivers
• Water is taken for a variety of uses. It provides drinking water for
millions of people. It is used to water lawns and fill pools in the
cities. It is used to irrigate the crops grown in this region, and it
generates large amounts of electricity.
• Arizona, California, and Nevada are the fastest growing areas, and
they have exceeded or are nearing their allocations of water from
the Colorado River.
Discuss with students that because the Colorado River is a limited
natural resource, the seven states have to work together to conserve the
waters of the Colorado River.
2. Mexico
Friday
1. a system to regulate the
amount of water from the
Colorado so it can reach
homes, businesses, farms in an
otherwise dry region
2. the area of land that is
drained by the Colorado
aqueduct a large pipe or channel that carries water a long distance
basin an area of land that is drained by a large river
canal a channel that is dug across land to connect bodies of water
River
Challenge
Answers will vary. Solutions to
the problem should include a
cooperative effort by cities, farms,
and businesses to conserve more
water.
130
Introducing Vocabulary
dam a strong barrier built across a stream or river to hold back water
irrigation a process of bringing a supply of water to crops by
artificial means
tributary a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or river
EMC 3714 • Daily Geography Practice, Grade 5
©2004 by Evan-Moor Corp.