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749:. At its completion in 1905, the dam was the world's tallest gravity dam, at 221 ft (67 m) above the streambed. The reservoir and related facilities were purchased in November 1918 by the Denver Water Board. Cheesman was the first reservoir of Denver's mountain storage facilities, and has been designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Cheesman Reservoir feeds Cheesman Canyon. Six miles below Cheesman Reservoir is the town of Deckers; there, the river bends north for about 17 mi (27 km) to the confluence with the North Fork of the South Platte.
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New Mexico Indian
Auxiliaries, who was ordered by the viceroy of New Spain to search the Tierra Incognita for a French incursion into New Mexico. The South Platte also served as a vital water source in Colorado. Long before the city of Denver was created, many travelers came to the South Platte River to escape the arid Great Plains. These people could survive the heat, but not without the vital water source that the South Platte gave them. Buckets and wells sufficed as a water system for a while, but eventually, the Denver Water System was created.
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The South Platte was originally called Niinéniiniicíihéhe by the native
Arapaho people who lived on its banks. The early Spanish explorers called it the Rio Chato (calm river). In 1702, it was named the Rio Jesus Maria by Captain Jose Naranjo, the Indigenous-Spanish scout and captain of war of the
683:
The flows of the South Platte have been greatly modified by human activity. Originally the river was seasonal north of Fort Morgan to its confluence with the North Platte. In the 1800s the river would disappear in July, August, and
September due to low flows and a sandy river bottom. By 1910 the
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The South Platte River is a gold medal western trout river on the eastern slope of
Colorado, meaning it produces at least 12 trout of greater than 14 inches in length or greater per acre in areas accessible to the public. The river is well known for its wild trophy population of
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In the late 1980s, a proposal was put forth for the Two Forks Dam, which would have created a reservoir flooding the entire section from the North Fork confluence to the town of
Deckers. In 1990, the US EPA vetoed the permit, calling the project an "environmental catastrophe."
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fishery. Most of these dams are bottom released, which allows for both stable water temperatures and year-round fly fishing. Popular fly-fishing stretches of the river include
720:. "Antero" is derived from the Spanish word "delantero", which means "foremost" or "head", as the reservoir was the first dam on the South Platte River near the river's origin.
723:
The next dam is
Spinney Mountain Reservoir. At capacity, Spinney Mountain covers 2,500 acres (10 km). A bottom-release dam, Spinney releases to the east of the inlet.
547:, on the western side of South Park, which is drained by the tributaries at the headwaters of the river. From South Park, it passes through 50 mi (80 km) of the
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region that was formed through erosion by the ancestor of the river following the creation of the
Rockies). It flows directly past the communities of
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In an arid region of the United States, the South Platte is marked with several dams. The first notable water impoundment on the South Platte is
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499:. The river serves as the principal source of water for eastern Colorado. In its valley along the foothills in Colorado, it has permitted
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before entering
Chatfield Reservoir. Chatfield marks the seventh and final dam on the South Platte until it merges with the North Platte.
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Laura King Van Dusen, "Forty-Six Years in
Howbert: 1887-1933: Former Ranching, Railroading Community Covered by Eleven-Mile Reservoir",
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land. Three former
Colorado towns, Howbert, Idlewild, and Freshwater Station, were submerged under the reservoir when it was built.
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Two miles below Spinney Mountain Reservoir, the river enters Eleven Mile Reservoir, with a capacity of 97,000
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730:(120,000,000 m). The Eleven Mile Reservoir Dam drains into Eleven Mile Canyon, which runs through
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The river flows north through central Denver, which was founded along its banks at its confluence with
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574:. The valley through Denver is highly industrialized, serving generally as the route for both the
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enthusiasts visit each year. With seven dams on the river, the South Platte is considered a
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increase in agriculture caused the river to reach the border of Colorado and Wyoming due to
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From the confluence, the river flows towards Denver and enters Strontia Springs Reservoir.
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as the representative pathogen species. Other water issues involve the appearance of the
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U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data.
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and dams holding back water later in the year. Increasing diversions from the upper
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in western Nebraska to form the Platte, which then flows across Nebraska to the
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in the 20th century mean that flows reach the North Platte year round.
668:'s (US EPA) list of impaired waterbodies for pathogen impairment, with
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before emerging from the foothills southwest of the Denver suburb of
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Water Transfers in the West: Efficiency, Equity, and the Environment
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and its lower section, Waterton Canyon. Here, it is joined by the
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919:. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. pp. 140–142.
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University of Colorado: GIS Hydro Data for the South Platte
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East of Greeley, it turns eastward, flowing across the
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in Colorado, much of the populated region known as the
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Below Strontia Springs, the South Platte runs through
664:
The South Platte River through Denver is on the U.S.
1021:
Historic Tales from Park County: Parked in the Past
637:, where it turns northeastward. It continues past
57:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
820:South Platte River Trail Scenic and Historic Byway
543:. Both forks rise along the eastern flank of the
1130:
559:. At Littleton, the river is impounded to form
390:0 to 4,640 cu ft/s (0 to 131 m/s)
983:"The Early Fur Trade Posts on the South Platte"
1124:Strontia Springs Reservoir and Waterton Canyon
913:Committee on Western Water Management (1992).
822:, a 19-mile byway in Sedgwick County, Colorado
897:Water Resources Data Colorado Water Year 2003
539:, about 15 mi (24 km) southeast of
455:, it is itself a major river of the American
129:River in Colorado and Nebraska, United States
171:
947:Nebraska: A Guide to the Cornhusker State.
471:includes much of the eastern flank of the
159:
780:. As a result of its close proximity to
531:grassland basin by the confluence of the
117:Learn how and when to remove this message
987:The Mississippi Valley Historical Review
861:United States Department of the Interior
708:outposts were established on the river.
422:
411:
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210:Confluence of South Fork and Middle Fork
1104:City of Denver: South Platte Initiative
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14:
1131:
980:
741:, the South Platte runs northeast to
1179:Rivers of Jefferson County, Colorado
355:174 cu ft/s (4.9 m/s)
55:adding citations to reliable sources
26:
1169:Rivers of Sedgwick County, Colorado
852:Geographic Names Information System
839:
24:
1174:Rivers of Douglas County, Colorado
886:
873:
745:, named for Denver water pioneer
649:. In Nebraska, it passes south of
25:
1205:
1189:Rivers of Morgan County, Colorado
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950:Nebraska State Historical Society
641:, and runs into Nebraska between
618:, which it receives just east of
602:, and is joined in succession by
1194:Rivers of Logan County, Colorado
1159:Rivers of Keith County, Nebraska
1154:Rivers of Deuel County, Nebraska
893:Water Data Report, Colorado 2003
563:, a flood-control basin for the
483:, and a portion of southeastern
140:
31:
1184:Rivers of Weld County, Colorado
1164:Tributaries of the Platte River
1149:Rivers of Park County, Colorado
857:United States Geological Survey
666:Environmental Protection Agency
487:in the vicinity of the city of
42:needs additional citations for
1094:USGS: South Platte River Basin
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427:Kayakers in Eleven Mile Canyon
282: • coordinates
216: • coordinates
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1:
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784:, the river has thousands of
188:Physical characteristics
1031:: The History Press, 2013),
435:is one of the two principal
321: • elevation
7:
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269: • location
206: • location
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1119:Spinney Mountain Reservoir
1054:Colorado Gold Medal Waters
815:List of rivers of Nebraska
810:List of rivers of Colorado
695:
404:The South Platte River in
351: • average
325:2,762 ft (842 m)
971:. Accessed June 23, 2014.
883:, accessed March 25, 2011
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704:In the late 1830s, four
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511:that is otherwise arid.
1114:The Greenway Foundation
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627:Colorado Eastern Plains
519:The river is formed in
172:
1050:"Colorado Gold Waters"
443:. Flowing through the
428:
420:
416:South Platte River in
409:
304:41.11389°N 100.67583°W
238:39.01111°N 105.74028°W
146:South Platte River in
1109:Eleven Mile Reservoir
981:Hafen, L. R. (1925).
674:New Zealand mud snail
647:Big Springs, Nebraska
616:Cache la Poudre River
608:Little Thompson River
588:Pike's Peak Gold Rush
521:Park County, Colorado
426:
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962:Denver Water History
847:"South Platte River"
767:Fly fishing overview
477:Colorado Front Range
309:41.11389; -100.67583
243:39.01111; -105.74028
66:"South Platte River"
51:improve this article
1084:Chatfield Reservoir
643:Julesburg, Colorado
561:Chatfield Reservoir
364:Basin features
300: /
234: /
1144:Rivers of Nebraska
1139:Rivers of Colorado
1089:Cheesman Reservoir
967:2016-09-03 at the
826:South Platte Trail
747:Walter S. Cheesman
743:Cheesman Reservoir
739:Eleven Mile Canyon
655:North Platte River
612:Big Thompson River
578:lines, as well as
503:in an area of the
493:North Platte River
433:South Platte River
429:
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275:North Platte River
135:South Platte River
1056:. Trout Unlimited
1037:978-1-62619-161-7
926:978-0-309-04528-5
657:near the city of
604:Saint Vrain Creek
505:Colorado Piedmont
459:and the American
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491:. It joins the
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62:Find sources:
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40:This article
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29:
28:
19:
1058:. Retrieved
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930:. Retrieved
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864:. Retrieved
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736:
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722:
715:
703:
699:
686:return flows
682:
678:zebra mussel
669:
663:
659:North Platte
624:
572:Cherry Creek
569:
518:
509:Great Plains
441:Platte River
432:
430:
113:
107:January 2011
104:
94:
87:
80:
73:
61:
49:Please help
44:verification
41:
18:South Platte
786:fly fishing
706:fur trading
631:Fort Morgan
600:Fort Lupton
584:Clear Creek
537:Middle Fork
515:Description
501:agriculture
445:U.S. states
437:tributaries
381:Mississippi
369:Progression
307: /
295:100°40′33″W
241: /
229:105°44′25″W
173:Wašíŋ Wakpá
168:Native name
1133:Categories
1025:Charleston
866:2011-01-29
833:References
614:, and the
553:North Fork
533:South Fork
529:South Park
408:, Colorado
292:41°06′50″N
226:39°00′40″N
77:newspapers
1007:0161-391X
790:tailwater
728:acre-feet
557:Littleton
461:Southwest
342:Discharge
965:Archived
952:. p. 46.
804:See also
670:E. coli
651:Ogallala
639:Sterling
596:Brighton
576:railroad
541:Fairplay
497:Missouri
489:Cheyenne
453:Nebraska
449:Colorado
377:Missouri
152:Colorado
895:, from
696:History
629:, past
620:Greeley
527:in the
485:Wyoming
457:Midwest
439:of the
91:scholar
1060:28 May
1035:
1005:
932:28 May
923:
782:Denver
645:, and
610:, the
606:, the
525:Denver
467:. Its
373:Platte
345:
330:Length
263:
200:
197:Source
180:Lakota
176:
93:
86:
79:
72:
64:
774:brown
737:From
635:Brush
592:shale
259:Mouth
98:JSTOR
84:books
1062:2024
1033:ISBN
1003:ISSN
934:2024
921:ISBN
901:USGS
776:and
712:Dams
676:and
633:and
598:and
535:and
507:and
479:and
451:and
431:The
70:news
995:doi
447:of
53:by
1135::
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1027:,
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379:—
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178:(
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114:(
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105:(
95:·
88:·
81:·
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20:)
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