Wetland Profile for the Rio Grande Headwaters Basin

  • The wetland profile below describes general geography of the Rio Grande Headwaters Basin, the extent of wetland mapping, and the acreage of various wetland classes mapped by National Wetland Inventory.
  • To view this area in the Colorado Wetlands Inventory Mapping Tool, Click Here

  • River Basin Geography

  • Total Area: 4,830,001 acres (19,547 square kilometers)
  • Elevation Range
    • Max: 4,374 meters
    • Min: 2,253 meters
    • Average: 2,772 meters
  • Ecoregions
    • 21: Southern Rockies: 56%
      • 21a: Alpine Zone: 8%
      • 21b: Crystalline Subalpine Forests: 5%
      • 21c: Crystalline Mid-Elevation Forests: < 1%
      • 21d: Foothill Shrublands: 9%
      • 21e: Sedimentary Subalpine Forests: 1%
      • 21f: Sedimentary Mid-Elevation Forests: < 1%
      • 21g: Volcanic Subalpine Forests: 24%
      • 21h: Volcanic Mid-Elevation Forests: 6%
      • 21j: Grassland Parks: 1%
    • 22: Arizona/New Mexico Plate: 44%
      • 22a: San Luis Shrublands and Hills: 13%
      • 22b: San Luis Alluvial Flats and Wetlands: 16%
      • 22c: Salt Flats: 11%
      • 22e: Sand Dunes and Sand Sheets: 3%
  • Land Ownership
    • Total Federal Land: 53%
      • Bureau of Land Management: 10%
      • Bureau of Reclamation: < 1%
      • Fish and Wildlife Service: 2%
      • National Park Service: 3%
      • Total U.S. Forest Service Lands 38%
        • Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests: < 1%
        • Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands: < 1%
        • Rio Grande National Forest: 38%
        • San Juan National Forest: < 1%
    • Total State Lands 3%
      • Colorado Division of Wildlife: < 1%
      • Colorado State Land Board: 3%
      • Colorado State Parks: < 1%
    • City, County, and Other Local Government Lands: < 1%
    • Land Trusts and Non-Governmental Organizations: 1%
    • Tribal Lands: None
    • Private Lands: 42%

  • Wetland Extent and Classification

  • Extent of basin mapped by wetland/riparian mapping projects
    • Digital NWI Mapping: 100% of unit
    • CPW Riparian Mapping: 43% of unit
    • Potential Fen Mapping: 25% of unit
  • Total area of NWI mapped wetlands: 282,804 acres
  • Percentage of basin mapped as NWI wetland: 6%
  • Wetland area by NWI System and Class
    • Palustrine Emergent: 236,553 acres
    • Palustrine Scrub-Shrub: 20,111 acres
    • Palustrine Forested: 1,478 acres
    • Palustrine Aquatic Bed: 1,373 acres
    • Palustrine Unconsolodated Shore/Bottom: 5,855 acres
    • All Lacustrine: 11,607 acres
    • All Riverine: 5,826 acres
  • Extent of wetland acres with NWI special modifiers
    • Percent excavated: < 1%
    • Percent dammed: 5%
    • Percent ditched/drained: < 1%
    • Percent farmed: None
    • Percent modified by beaver: < 1%
  • Wetland landscape integrity
    • Percent of unit in No Discernable Stress: 16%
    • Percent of basin in Low Stress: 37%
    • Percent of basin in Moderate Stress: 15%
    • Percent of basin in High Stress: 10%
    • Percent of basin in Severe Stress: 22%
  • Disclaimer: Basin, subbasin, and county wetland profiles are calculated for the area mapped by National Wetland Inventory (NWI). All percentages and acreage estimates are only for the area mapped. If the entire area of interest is mapped by NWI, these estimates reflect the entire area of interest. If only a portion is mapped, these estimates do not reflect the entire area. For more information about NWI’s Cowardin classification system, click here. For information about NWI mapping standards, click here.