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Little Navajo River facts for kids

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Little Navajo River
Little Oso Diversion Reservoir pano.jpg
Reservoir on the Little Navajo River at the Little Oso Diversion Dam
Physical characteristics
River mouth Confluence with Navajo River at Chromo, Colorado
37°02′04″N 106°50′43″W / 37.03438°N 106.84525°W / 37.03438; -106.84525
Basin features
Progression Little Navajo–NavajoSan JuanColorado

The Little Navajo River is a small river in Colorado, USA. It's like a smaller stream that flows into a bigger river. This river is a "tributary" of the Navajo River. A tributary is a stream or river that flows into a larger river or lake.

The Little Navajo River is found in Archuleta County, Colorado. It eventually joins the Navajo River near a place called Chromo, Colorado.

Little Navajo River below Little Oso Diversion Dam
The Little Navajo River flowing below the Little Oso Diversion Dam.
Little Navajo River at US-84
The Little Navajo River near where it meets the Navajo River.

Where the River Flows

The Little Navajo River starts high up in the mountains. It flows through beautiful natural areas in Archuleta County. Its journey ends when it meets the Navajo River. This meeting point is called a "confluence."

How the River's Water is Used

A lot of the water from the Little Navajo River is moved to a different place. This happens at a special structure called the Little Oso Diversion Dam. A "diversion dam" helps to change the direction of water flow.

The water is sent across the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide is like a giant mountain ridge. It separates the rivers that flow to the Pacific Ocean from those that flow to the Atlantic Ocean.

This water is moved to the Rio Grande river basin. A "river basin" is the area of land where all the water drains into a specific river. This big project is part of something called the San Juan–Chama Project. This project helps to move water from one river system to another. It provides water for people to use, especially for farming and cities, in areas that need it.

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