Week 3: Running Water - Colorado River

Last summer I took a trip to Canyonlands National Park in Utah. When I was there I witnessed quite a unique sight. The Colorado River had taken on a meandering shape, however, it was flowing in deep bedrock valleys instead of the typical production of a wide flood basin. I know now that this serves as an example of an "incised meanderer". This most likely formed when the floodplain it was creating changed its base levels in places, resulting in downcutting by the river instead of furthering the uniform base level flood plain.

When I was there I was curious as to why the water seemed so murky. I know now that the color of the river in the image below is due to the suspended load of sediment the river is carrying. Typically, very fine sand, silt, and clay particles are able to be suspended in the river, allowing these sediments to be carried downstream to wherever the river flows. These particles become deposited when the flow velocity of the river falls below the individual settling velocity of each individual particle.

Image received from https://blaineharrington.photoshelter.com/image/I0000abeGER2hbCs