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State of Colorado

Landscape Summaries > State of Colorado Profile

To view mapped wetlands online, click one of the links below.

  • Colorado Wetlands Inventory Mapping Tool
  • National Wetlands Inventory Wetlands Mapper

Wetland Mapping Summary
Area of mapped wetlands 1,714,252 acres
Percent of basin mapped as wetlands 3%
Wetland Area by Type (acres)
Freshwater Herbaceous861,41950%
Freshwater Shrub 265,42915%
Freshwater Forested 74,1974%
Ponds 177,97610%
Lakes 190,51611%
Rivers 112,4987%
Other 21,7791%
Wetland Area Mapped with Modifiers (acres)
Excavated 64,0174%
Dammed 146,9669%
Ditched/Drained 168< 1%
Farmed 10,7591%
Modified by Beaver 41,0562%
Wetland Area by Stressor Class (acres)
No Stress7,859,92412%
Low Stress24,948,38737%
Moderate Stress13,360,28520%
High Stress9,946,20515%
Severe Stress10,504,66216%

Total Area and Elevation Range
Total Area66,619,464 acres 269,605 sq km
Maximum Elevation 14,421 ft4,397 m
Minimum Elevation3,252 ft 992 m
Average Elevation8,837 ft 2,694 m

Land Ownership (acres)
Total Federal Lands24,104,93136%
Bureau of Land Management8,315,16412%
Bureau of Reclamation7,184< 1%
Federal Land, Misc475,6691%
Fish and Wildlife Service167,796< 1%
National Park Service711,2251%
Total Forest Service Land14,427,89322%
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Pawnee National Grassland1,587,7852%
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests2,956,0304%
Manti-La Sal National Forest27,123< 1%
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest1,255,0592%
Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands2,642,1074%
Rio Grande National Forest1,816,4703%
San Juan National Forest1,863,7353%
White River National Forest2,279,5853%
Total State Lands3,250,3645%
City, County, and Other Local Government Lands425,6841%
Land Trusts and Non-Governmental Organizations161,672< 1%
Tribal Lands770,2041%
Private Lands37,906,60857%

Ecoregions (acres)
18: Wyoming Basin2,093,2673%
18a: Rolling Sagebrush Steppe1,403,5142%
18d: Foothill Shrublands and Low Mountains158,567< 1%
18e: Salt Desert Shrub Basins459,0571%
18f: Laramie Basin72,129< 1%
20: Colorado Plateaus9,019,55914%
20a: Monticello-Cortez Uplands603,4701%
20b: Shale Deserts and Sedimentary Basins1,871,5823%
20c: Semiarid Benchlands and Canyonlands5,828,1159%
20d: Arid Canyonlands42,808< 1%
20e: Escarpments648,5941%
20f: Uinta Basin Floor24,989< 1%
21: Southern Rockies25,390,94438%
21a: Alpine Zone2,367,9134%
21b: Crystalline Subalpine Forests3,051,1775%
21c: Crystalline Mid-Elevation Forests2,849,6194%
21d: Foothill Shrublands2,986,7414%
21e: Sedimentary Subalpine Forests3,939,9966%
21f: Sedimentary Mid-Elevation Forests4,865,4867%
21g: Volcanic Subalpine Forests2,499,5044%
21h: Volcanic Mid-Elevation Forests667,2661%
21i: Sagebrush Parks1,317,1402%
21j: Grassland Parks846,1001%
22: Arizona/New Mexico Plate2,124,9803%
22a: San Luis Shrublands and Hills632,5681%
22b: San Luis Alluvial Flats and Wetlands776,0191%
22c: Salt Flats553,7311%
22e: Sand Dunes and Sand Sheets162,662< 1%
25: High Plains15,888,57824%
25b: Rolling Sand Plains2,949,0054%
25c: Moderate Relief Plains3,973,2766%
25d: Flat to Rolling Plains8,466,49313%
25l: Front Range Fans499,8041%
26: Southwestern Tablelands12,102,13618%
26e: Piedmont Plains and Tablelands8,542,71513%
26f: Mesa de Maya/Black Mesa367,8111%
26g: Purgatoire Hills and Canyons666,0151%
26h: Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands and Savannas637,8941%
26i: Pine-Oak Woodlands371,2231%
26j: Foothill Grasslands1,154,2972%
26k: Sandsheets362,1801%

Potential Conservation Areas (PCAs) are delineated around important elements of biodiversity (plants, animals or natural communities). The list below includes all PCAs within the Colorado created for wetland and riparian dependent elements. This list represents wetlands and riparian areas with the highest known biodiversity value in the area.

PCA Reports

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Site Name Biodiversity Significance

Tracked elements of biodiversity include animals, plants, and natural communities that are uncommon either globally or within the state of Colorado. The list below includes all wetland and riparian dependent elements found within the Colorado and the count of known occurrences.

  • Heritage Network Ranking System

Tracked Elements

Build Your Own Tracking List

Heritage Network Ranking System - Click Here to see the online document that explains the ranking criteria as found in the table below. Last updated xx.

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The spatial filters below are based on current and historical CNHP element occurrence and observation locations, and not known distributions documented in the literature.




  

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Major Group State Scientific Name Common Name Global Rank State Rank ESA Status CO Status Other Status CNHP Tracking Status

CNHP conducts numerous studies on botany, zoology, ecology, and conservation planning. Many projects are specifically focused on wetland ecosystems and habitats. The list below includes all reports that focus on wetland and riparian areas within the Colorado

Reports

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Report Title Authors Year

Wetland Data & Tools

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Related Topics

Wetland Reports
PCA Reports
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Field Manuals
Educational Resources
Watershed Toolbox

Web Projects

  • CODEX - Colorado’s Conservation Data Explorer
  • Rare Plant Guide Online
  • Colorado Wetland Info Center
  • COMaP - Colorado Protected Lands
  • Colorado Bat Working Group
  • STReaMS - Endangered Fishes Database
  • Colorado Native Plant Database Data Portal

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  • About
    ▼
    • What Are Wetlands?
    • Why Are Wetlands Important?
    • Colorado Wetland Plan
    • Wetland Partners
  • Wetland Types
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Systems
    • Natural Plant Communities
    • Fen Mapping
  • Wetland Condition
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Condition
    • Habitat Quality
    • Biodiversity Significance
    • Colorado Wetland Assessment Projects
    • National Wetland Condition Assessment
    • BLM Assessment Inventory and Monitoring
  • Protection & Conservation
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Conservation
    • Restoration
    • Regulation
    • Best Management Practices
    • Funding and Technical Support
  • Data & Tools
    ▼
    • Wetlands Mapper
    • Floristic Quality Calculator
    • Landscape Summaries
    • Watershed Toolbox
    • Wetland Plots Database
  • Library
    ▼
    • Wetland Reports
    • Potential Conservation Areas
    • County Survey Reports
    • Field Guides and App
    • Field Manuals
    • Educational Resources
  • CNHP Home
  • About
    ▼
    • What Are Wetlands?
    • Why Are Wetlands Important?
    • Colorado Wetland Plan
    • Wetland Partners
  • Wetland Types
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Systems
    • Natural Plant Communities
    • Fen Mapping
  • Wetland Condition
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Condition
    • Habitat Quality
    • Biodiversity Significance
    • Colorado Wetland Assessment Projects
    • National Wetland Condition Assessment
    • BLM Assessment Inventory and Monitoring
  • Protection & Conservation
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Conservation
    • Restoration
    • Regulation
    • Best Management Practices
    • Funding and Technical Support
  • Data & Tools
    ▼
    • Wetlands Mapper
    • Floristic Quality Calculator
    • Landscape Summaries
    • Watershed Toolbox
    • Wetland Plots Database
  • Library
    ▼
    • Wetland Reports
    • Potential Conservation Areas
    • County Survey Reports
    • Field Guides and App
    • Field Manuals
    • Educational Resources
  • CNHP Home
  • About
    ▼
    • What Are Wetlands?
    • Why Are Wetlands Important?
    • Colorado Wetland Plan
    • Wetland Partners
  • Wetland Types
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Systems
    • Natural Plant Communities
    • Fen Mapping
  • Wetland Condition
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Condition
    • Habitat Quality
    • Biodiversity Significance
    • Colorado Wetland Assessment Projects
    • National Wetland Condition Assessment
    • BLM Assessment Inventory and Monitoring
  • Protection & Conservation
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Conservation
    • Restoration
    • Regulation
    • Best Management Practices
    • Funding and Technical Support
  • Data & Tools
    ▼
    • Wetlands Mapper
    • Floristic Quality Calculator
    • Landscape Summaries
    • Watershed Toolbox
    • Wetland Plots Database
  • Library
    ▼
    • Wetland Reports
    • Potential Conservation Areas
    • County Survey Reports
    • Field Guides and App
    • Field Manuals
    • Educational Resources
  • CNHP Home