Contents
On the territory of the United States of America there are huge reserves of fresh water, consisting of lakes and rivers. The most famous and largest reservoirs of the country are Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario, the area of which is 246 sq. km. As for rivers, there are much more of them than lakes and they occupy a larger area of the territory.
The ranking describes the longest rivers in the United States.
10 Snake | 1 kilometers
Snake (Snake River) opens the top ten longest rivers in the US. The Snake is the largest tributary of the Columbia River. Its length is about 1735 kilometers, and the basin area is 278 sq. km. Snake originates in the west, in the Wyoming region. It flows through 450 states in the region of mountain plains. It has a huge number of tributaries, the largest is the Palus with a length of 6 km. The Snake is a navigable river. Its main food comes from snow and rain water.
9. Colombia | 2 kilometers
Colombia located in North America. Presumably, it got its name in honor of the ship of the same name, on which Captain Robert Gray traveled – he was one of the first to discover and pass the entire river. Its length is 2000 kilometers, and the basin area is 668 square meters. km. It has more than 217 tributaries, the largest of which are: Snake, Willamette, Kooteni and others. It flows into the Pacific Ocean. Columbia is fed by glaciers, due to which it has a large volume of water and a fairly fast current. More than a dozen hydroelectric power plants have been built on its territory. Like Snake, Columbia is navigable.
8. Ohio | 2 kilometers
Ohio – one of the largest rivers in the United States, is the most full-flowing tributary of the Mississippi. Its length is 2102 kilometers, and the basin area is 528 square meters. km. The basin is formed by the confluence of two rivers – the Allegheny and Monongahila, originating in the Appalachian Mountains. Its main tributaries are Miami, Muskingham, Tennessee, Kentucky and others. Ohio is experiencing severe floods that are catastrophic. The river is fed by groundwater, rainwater, and also by the rivers flowing into it. Some of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the country have been built in the Ohio Basin.
7. South Red River | 2 kilometers
South Red River (Red River) – one of the longest American rivers, is one of the largest tributaries of the Mississippi. It got its name because of the clay lands in the watershed of the river. The length of the Red River is about 2190 kilometers. It was formed from the confluence of two small Texas rivers. The South Red River was dammed in the 40s to prevent devastating floods. The Red River is home to Lake Tehomo, formed as a result of the installation of a dam, and about. Caddo, next to which is the largest cypress forest on earth. The river is fed by rain and soil.
6. Colorado | 2 kilometers
Colorado located in the southwest of the United States and is one of the largest and most beautiful rivers not only in the country, but also in the world. Its total length is 2334 kilometers, and the basin area is 637 sq. km. The beginning of Colorado takes from the Rocky Mountains, and in the Gulf of California it connects to the Pacific Ocean. The Colorado has over 137 tributaries, the largest being the Eagle River, Green River, Gila, Little Colorado and others. It is one of the most controlled rivers in the world, with 25 major dams. The first of these was built in 30 and formed the Powell Reservoir. In the waters of Colorado there are about 1907 species of fish.
5. Arkansas | 2 kilometers
Арканзас one of the longest rivers and largest tributaries of the Mississippi. It originates in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado. Its length is 2348 kilometers, and the basin area is 505 square meters. km. It crosses four states: Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma. The largest tributaries of the Arkansas are the Cimarrock and the Salt Fork Arkansas. The Arkansas is a navigable river and is a source of water for the locals. Due to the rapid flow in mountainous areas, the river has become popular among tourists who want to go in for extreme swimming.
4. Rio Grande | 3 kilometers
Rio Grande (Great River) is the largest and longest river in North America. It is located on the border of the two states of the USA and Mexico. The Mexican name is Rio Bravo. The Rio Grande originates in the state of Colorado, the San Juan Mountains and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The most important and largest tributaries are the Rio Conchos, Pecos, Devils River. Despite its size, the Rio Grande is not navigable, as it has become much shallower. Due to shallowing, some species of fish and animals are endangered. The Rio Grande can dry up in some areas and form small bodies of water, such as lakes. The main food is rain and snow water, as well as mountain springs. The length of the Rio Grande is 3057 kilometers, and the basin area is 607 sq. km.
3. Yukon | 3 kilometers
Yukon (Big River) opens the top three longest rivers in the United States. The Yukon flows in the state of Alaska (USA) and in northwestern Canada. It is a tributary of the Bering Sea. Its length is 3184 kilometers, and the basin area is 832 sq.m. It originates in Marsh Lake, and then moves to the border with Alaska, dividing the state into two equal parts. Its main tributaries are Tanana, Pelly, Koyukuk. Yukon is navigable for three months, as the rest of the year it is covered with ice. The big river is located in a mountainous area, so it is full of rapids. Valuable species of fish such as salmon, pike, nelma, and grayling are found in its waters. The main food of the Yukon is snow water.
2. Missouri | 3 kilometers
Missouri (Big and Muddy River) is the longest river in North America, as well as the largest tributary of the Mississippi. Missouri has its origins in the Rocky Mountains. It flows through 10 US states and 2 Canadian provinces. The river stretches for 3767 kilometers and forms a basin with an area of 1 square meters. km., which is one-sixth of the entire territory of the United States. It was formed by the confluence of the Jefferson, Gallatin and Madison rivers. The Missouri receives about a hundred large tributaries, the main ones being Yellowstone, Platte, Kansas and Osage. The turbidity of the Missouri water is explained by the washing out of rocks by a powerful stream of the river. The river is fed by rain and snow waters, as well as the waters of tributaries. Currently it is navigable.
1. Mississippi | 3 kilometers
Mississippi is the most important river in the United States, and also ranks third in the world (at the confluence with the Missouri and Jefferson tributaries) in length after the Amazon and the Nile. Formed at the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers. Its source is Lake Itasca. It occupies part of 10 US states. Merging with its main tributary, the Missouri, it forms a length of more than 6000 kilometers. The river’s own length is 3734 kilometers, and the basin area is 2 sq. km. Mississippi’s diet is mixed.