South Platte River

Length: 450 miles (724 kilometers)

Rises in the Rocky Mts. in many branches, main branch rising NW Park co., at Continental Divide, near mounts Democrat and Lincoln; flows SE through Pinney Mt. and Eleven Mile Canyon reservoir, then NNE through Chesman and Chatfield reservoirs, through of Denver to Greeley, then E and NE past Fort Morgan, Sterling and Julesburg, into Nebr., past Ogallala, joining North Platte R at town of North Platte, forming Platte R. Lower 80 mi/129 km nearly parallels North Platte. Grazing and irrigated agr. are important. The river basin has many private irrigation dams. The upper course of the South Platte is part of the Bureau of Reclamation’s Colorado–Big Thompson project.