The Colorado Rivers Help and Hindrance of Settlement in the Western United States :: Colorado River Geography American History Essays

The cobalt Rivers Help and Hindrance of Settlement in the westward United States Geographers can tell you that the one thing that most rivers and their coterminous flood plains in the world yield in common is that they have richhistories associated with human settlement and development. Thisespecially true in desiccated regions which argon very dependent upon water. Twoexcellent examples ar the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates rivers which constitute use the relationship between rivers and concentrations of people. However, the cobalt River is not such a good example along mostsegments of its course. There is no sustained transportation systemthat parallels the rivers course, and settlements are clustered. Therugged terrain and entrenched river channels are the major reasons forsparse human settlement. We ask ourselves, did the Colorado River helpor hinder settlement in the Western United States? As settlers began to prod westward, the Southwest was consideredto be a jell to avoid. Few considered it a place to traverse, to spreadChristianity, and a possible source of furs or mineral wealth. conclusion areliable or accessible water source, and timber for create wasdifficult to find. There was a lack of land that could be irrigatedeasily. By the turn of the century, most present day cities and townswere already established. Trails, roads, and railroads linked several(prenominal)areas with neighboring regions. Although the Colorado River drainagesystem was still not integrated. In the mid 1900s many dams had beenbuilt to harness and use the water. A new phase of development occurredat the end of the second field War. There was a large emphasis onrecreation, tourism, and environmental preservation. The terrain of the Colorado River is very unique. It consists ofWet Upper Slopes, Irregular Transition Plains and Hills, DeepCanyonlands, and the change Lower Plains. Wet Upper Slopes Consist of numerous streams that feed into theColorado River from stream cut canyons, small flat floored valleys often occupied by alpine lakes and adjacent steep walled mountain peaks. Theseareas are to a great extent forested and contain swiftly flowing streams, rapids,and waterfalls. These areas have little commercial value except aswatershed, wildlife habitat, forest land, and destinations for hikers,fishermen, and mountaineers. Irregular Transition Plains and Hills These areas are favorablefor traditional economic development. It consists of river valleys withadequate flat land to stand out farms and ranches. Due to the rollinghills, low plateaus, and mountain slopes, livestock grazing is common.