A dryland river transformed—the Little Colorado, 1936–2010

Abstract

The Little Colorado River, in northeastern Arizona, is a major tributary of the Colorado River. Over a span of 74 years, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has mapped substantial migration of the river channel between the City of Winslow and the Navajo Nation community of Leupp (Tólchíí kooh). In a human lifetime, the river has moved more than 1 mile across its valley floor. Channel migration and flooding pose a considerable risk to the life and property of people living near the river. USGS scientists are working to better understand the potential for further channel adjustments and flooding to help provide communities at risk with the information they need to address these threats and make future development decisions.