Grand Valley (Colorado)
Encyclopedia
The Grand Valley is an extended populated valley, approximately 30 miles (48 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, located along the Colorado River in Mesa County
in western Colorado
and Grand County, Utah
in the United States
. The valley contains the city of Grand Junction
, as well as other smaller communities such as Fruita
, and Palisade
. The valley is noted as a major fruit
growing region, with a large number of orchard
s. It takes its name from the "Grand River", the historical name of the Colorado River upstream from its confluence with the Green River
that was used by locals in the late 19th and early 20th century. The valley is the most densely populated area on the Colorado Western Slope
, with Grand Junction serving as somewhat of an unofficial capital of the region, as a counterpoint to Denver
on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains
in the Colorado Front Range
. Interstate 70
and U.S. Highway 6 run through the valley from west-to-east. The Grand Valley is part of the larger Colorado Plateau
desert lands.
, then follows a wide arc bending to the west/southwest. The Colorado receives the Gunnison River
, one of its major tributaries, just south of Grand Junction near the midpoint of the valley. The valley is surrounded by large plateau formations, including the Bookcliffs along the north side and the Grand Mesa
along the southeast side. Colorado National Monument
sits on a ridge on the southwest side of the valley west of Grand Junction. Much of the surrounding table land areas rimming the valley are public lands controlled by the Bureau of Land Management.
The valley was an area historically occupied by the Ute
people. White settlers began to arrive in the 1880s, farming the valley for a variety of grains and fruits. In the 1890s, it was discovered that sugar beets grown in the valley had a high sugar content, leading to widespread cultivation of that crop. At the turn of the 20th century, evaporation techniques allowed fruit growers to ship their products more efficiently to distant markets, yielding an expansion of fruit growing in the valley. In 1918, the Highline Project was completed to provide water to cultivate 50,000 acres (20.0 km²) in the valley. The project included a roller dam
in De Beque Canyon, the largest of three such dams of this type in the nation.
According to local legend, the valley was cursed by the native Utes upon their forced exodus to federal reservation grounds in Utah. The legend states, among other things, that no person born in the valley may leave permanently unless a small amount of sand is collected from the Grand Mesa, Bookcliffs, Colorado National Monument, and/or the junction of the Gunnison and Colorado rivers. The sand is supposed to alleviate the curse's effects of a supernatural and metaphysical attraction by the valley's soil to the native individual. Of course, this is a myth and cannot be confirmed. However, many exiting locals, native and non-native alike, prefer not to take their chances with the alleged curse and keep the sand long after emigrating from the valley.
Mesa County, Colorado
Mesa County is the fourth most extensive and the eleventh most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county was named for the many large mesas in the area, including Grand Mesa. The county population was 146,723 at the 2010 United States Census. The...
in western Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Grand County, Utah
Grand County, Utah
Grand County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 8,485, and by 2005 had been estimated at 8,743. It was named for the Colorado River, which at the time of statehood was known as the Grand River. Its county seat and largest city is Moab.-Geography:According...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The valley contains the city of Grand Junction
Grand Junction, Colorado
The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
, as well as other smaller communities such as Fruita
Fruita, Colorado
The City of Fruita is a Home Rule Municipality located in the western part of Mesa County, Colorado, in the United States. It is part of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area and within the Grand Valley...
, and Palisade
Palisade, Colorado
Palisade is a Statutory Town in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,692 at the 2010 census....
. The valley is noted as a major fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
growing region, with a large number of orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s. It takes its name from the "Grand River", the historical name of the Colorado River upstream from its confluence with the Green River
Green River (Utah)
The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing...
that was used by locals in the late 19th and early 20th century. The valley is the most densely populated area on the Colorado Western Slope
Colorado Western Slope
The Western Slope of Colorado refers to a region of the U.S. state of Colorado incorporating everything in the state west of the Continental Divide. The Colorado River and its tributaries divide the region into north and south at Grand Junction, Colorado...
, with Grand Junction serving as somewhat of an unofficial capital of the region, as a counterpoint to Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in the Colorado Front Range
Colorado Front Range
The Colorado Front Range is a colloquial geographic term for the most populous region of the state of Colorado in the United States. The area is located just east of the foothills of the Front Range, aligned in a north-south configuration on the western edge of the Great Plains, where they meet the...
. Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
and U.S. Highway 6 run through the valley from west-to-east. The Grand Valley is part of the larger Colorado Plateau
Colorado Plateau
The Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. The province covers an area of 337,000 km2 within western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico,...
desert lands.
Description and history
The valley is located where the Colorado widens at the mouth of De Beque CanyonDe Beque Canyon
De Beque Canyon is a narrow canyon on the Colorado River in western Colorado in the United States. It is approximately 15 miles long, located on the river downstream from the town of De Beque, in eastern Mesa County. The canyon forms a narrow passage where the river passes along the western end of...
, then follows a wide arc bending to the west/southwest. The Colorado receives the Gunnison River
Gunnison River
The Gunnison River is a tributary of the Colorado River, long, in the Southwest state of Colorado. It is the fifth largest tributary of the Colorado River, with a mean flow of 4320 ft³/s .-Description:...
, one of its major tributaries, just south of Grand Junction near the midpoint of the valley. The valley is surrounded by large plateau formations, including the Bookcliffs along the north side and the Grand Mesa
Grand Mesa
The Grand Mesa is a large mesa in western Colorado in the United States. It has an area of about and stretches for about east of Grand Junction between the Colorado River and the Gunnison River, its tributary to the south. The north side of the mesa is drained largely by Plateau Creek, a...
along the southeast side. Colorado National Monument
Colorado National Monument
- Trails :The Monument contains many hiking trails, with lengths and difficulties to suit all tastes. Summer storms can cause flash floods as well as dangerous trail conditions. Rattlesnakes are found on the Monument, and rough terrain exists everywhere, but most trails are well-maintained...
sits on a ridge on the southwest side of the valley west of Grand Junction. Much of the surrounding table land areas rimming the valley are public lands controlled by the Bureau of Land Management.
The valley was an area historically occupied by the Ute
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
people. White settlers began to arrive in the 1880s, farming the valley for a variety of grains and fruits. In the 1890s, it was discovered that sugar beets grown in the valley had a high sugar content, leading to widespread cultivation of that crop. At the turn of the 20th century, evaporation techniques allowed fruit growers to ship their products more efficiently to distant markets, yielding an expansion of fruit growing in the valley. In 1918, the Highline Project was completed to provide water to cultivate 50,000 acres (20.0 km²) in the valley. The project included a roller dam
Roller dam
A Roller dam is a type of hydro-control device specially designed to mitigate erosion. They are most often used to divert water for irrigation but the largest and most notable examples are used to ease river navigation.- Use :...
in De Beque Canyon, the largest of three such dams of this type in the nation.
According to local legend, the valley was cursed by the native Utes upon their forced exodus to federal reservation grounds in Utah. The legend states, among other things, that no person born in the valley may leave permanently unless a small amount of sand is collected from the Grand Mesa, Bookcliffs, Colorado National Monument, and/or the junction of the Gunnison and Colorado rivers. The sand is supposed to alleviate the curse's effects of a supernatural and metaphysical attraction by the valley's soil to the native individual. Of course, this is a myth and cannot be confirmed. However, many exiting locals, native and non-native alike, prefer not to take their chances with the alleged curse and keep the sand long after emigrating from the valley.
External links
- Topographic map from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps