Zuni River
| Zuñi River | |
|---|---|
Rio Nutria | |
| • location | near Black Rock, Zuni Indian Reservation, New Mexico |
| • coordinates | 35°06′38″N 108°42′56″W / 35.11056°N 108.71556°W[1] |
| • elevation | 6,535 ft (1,992 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Little Colorado River |
• location | Hunt Valley, Arizona |
• coordinates | 34°38′44″N 109°40′28″W / 34.64556°N 109.67444°W[1] |
• elevation | 5,407 ft (1,648 m)[1] |
| Basin size | 1,300 sq mi (3,400 km2) |
The Zuni (Zuñi) River is a tributary of the
Continental Divide. The river flows off the western slopes of the Zuñi Mountains in a generally southwesterly direction through the Zuni Indian Reservation to join the Little Colorado River in eastern Arizona. The Zuni River is approximately 90 miles (140 km) long, and has a drainage basin in New Mexico of approximately 1,300 square miles (3,400 km2).[3]
Course
The Zuñi River begins about 4.5 miles east-northeast of
Zuni Pueblo.[6] The river is intermittent, drying up during drought periods, and often during most of the winter, except where there are perennial springs that give it surface flow for a short distance.[3]
Fossils
The Zuni Basin is home to the Moreno Hill Formation where fossils from the later Cretaceous 92 Mya. Fossils include dinosaurs like Zuniceratops and Suskityrannus (Zuni Coelurosaur).[7]
Environment
The Zuni River is one of the last remaining habitats of the
Zuni bluehead sucker.[8]
Religious aspect
The Zuni River is sacred to the Zuni people. Every four years, a religious pilgrimage is made on the "Barefoot Trail" to Kołuwala:wa, also called "Zuni Heaven", at the confluence of the Zuni River and the Little Colorado.[9]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Zuñi River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. February 8, 1980. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014.
- ^ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
- ^ OCLC 11134685.
- ^ "Geographic Names Information System (GNIS): Feature Detail Report for: Black Rock Reservoir". United States Geological Survey. 13 November 1980.
- ISBN 978-1-57806-993-4.
- ^ Zuni Quadrangle, New Mexico–McKinley Co. (35108–A7–TF–024) (Map). 1:24,000. 7.7 miniute series (topographic). United States geological Survey. 1972. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014.
- ^ "The Creature From the Zuni Lagoon". Discover Magazine. Heather Pringle, Grant Delin. Retrieved August 1, 2001.
- ^ "Zuni Bluehead Sucker". Center for Biological Diversity. May 3, 2004. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-415-96079-3.
External links
- Official web site of the Zuni Tribe
- Zuni River Watershed Act of 1991[permanent dead link]
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. NM-7, "Zuni Dam, Across Zuni River, Black Rock, McKinley County, NM", 56 photos, 6 photo caption pages
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| National | |
