San Miguel River (Colorado)


The San Miguel River is a tributary of the Dolores River, approximately long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. It rises in the San Juan Mountains southeast of Telluride and flows northwest, along the southern slope of the Uncompahgre Plateau, past the towns of Placerville and Nucla and joins the Dolores in western Montrose County approximately 15 miles east of the state line with Utah.
The San Miguel is more or less free flowing; however, diversion dams dot the river and alter flows. The San Miguel varies in gradient, from extremely steep in its upper reaches to more mellow in the lower sections. All told, the San Miguel drops over from an alpine ecosystem to the desert. The average flow is about.
Whitewater kayakers and boaters enjoy many sections on the San Miguel. Minimum suggested flows for small vessels is 250 cfs, with the river near Placerville usually becoming navigable in late April or early May. Several runs of varying length are commonly undertaken from there to the confluence with the Dolores, near the site of Uravan. The San Miguel is considered a continuous class 2 run with several class three rapids which become more challenging at higher flows, where the river's speed can make it difficult to stop and scout. Additional River hazards are three diversion dams that exist between Naturita and the Hwy 145 bridge East of Norwood. All of them are relatively easy to scout and portage, however. As the river meanders through an agricultural valley just East of Naturita, several cattle fences cross the river.