Uncompahgre Plateau

{{Short description|Plateau in Colorado, United States}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} [[File:Uncompahgre National Forest location in Colorado.png|thumb|300px|Uncompahgre National Forest (red) location in Colorado]] The '''Uncompahgre Plateau'''<ref>{{cite gnis | 169608 | Uncompahgre Plateau | 2020-05-03 }}</ref> in western Colorado is a distinctive large uplift part of the Colorado Plateau. {{lang|ute|Uncompahgre}} is a Ute word that describes the water: "Dirty Water" or "Rocks that make Water Red".<ref name=TUP>{{cite web |url=http://upartnership.org/plateau-facts/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408132049/http://upartnership.org/plateau-facts/ |archive-date=8 April 2016 |title=Plateau Facts |publisher=The Uncompahgre Partnership |access-date=July 3, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The plateau, with an average elevation of {{convert|9500|ft|m}}, rises from the Colorado River {{convert|4600|ft|m|abbr=on}} to Horsefly Peak {{convert|10300|ft|m|abbr=on}}. It continues on about {{convert|90|mi|km}} southeast to the northwest margin of the San Juan Mountains. Its boundaries are the San Miguel and Dolores Rivers to the west, the Colorado River to the north and the Gunnison and Uncompahgre Rivers on the eastern side.<ref name=TUP/>

Large canyons such as Big Red, Tabeguache, Spring Creek, Roubideau, Escalante, Big Dominquez, and Unaweep are separated by generally flat mesas. The Plateau watersheds include four tributaries of the Colorado River: Dolores River, Gunnison River, San Miguel River and Uncompahgre River.<ref name=TUP/>

The Uncompahgre Plateau includes about {{convert|2290|sqmi|km2}} in five counties: Delta, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, and San Miguel. 275px|thumb|The Uncompahgre Plateau (the highest land in the back) rising above Nucla, Colorado.

The plateau is under the management of:<ref name=TUP/> * United States Forest Service Uncompahgre National Forest land {{convert|545907|acre|km2}} (37%) * Bureau of Land Management {{convert|545280|acre|km2}} (37%) * State of Colorado: Colorado State Land Board and Colorado Parks and Wildlife land {{convert|8689|acre|km2}} (<1%) * Private property, mostly in the Uncompahgre Valley, totals {{convert|365547|acre|km2}} (25%)

== Geology == Located in Southwest Colorado, the Uncompahgre Plateau is a high domed upland rising from the Colorado River. When it was formed, strong forces in the crust of the Earth forced the land to lift up.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://doi.org/10.58783/cgs.rt0603.odcf9607 |title=RockTalk V06N03, August 2003 - Central Colorado Geology |date=August 2003 |publisher=Colorado Geological Survey}}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Colorado}} * Log Hill Mesa

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/gmug USFS - Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison Natl Forests] * [http://www.wildlife.state.co.us/ Colorado Division of Wildlife]

{{coord|38|33|N|108|28|W|display=title}}

Category:Plateaus of Colorado Category:Landforms of Delta County, Colorado Category:Landforms of Mesa County, Colorado Category:Landforms of Montrose County, Colorado Category:Landforms of Ouray County, Colorado Category:Landforms of San Miguel County, Colorado Category:Uncompahgre National Forest Category:Bureau of Land Management areas in Colorado