Paradox Valley

Paradox Valley
Paradox Valley as seen from near the southwest rim. The Dolores River is at the left edge.
Paradox Valley is located in Colorado
Paradox Valley
Paradox Valley
Location of Paradox Valley within Colorado
Floor elevation4,944 ft (1,507 m)
Length25 miles (40 km) NW-SE
Width3 to 5 miles (4.8 to 8.0 km)
Geography
LocationMontrose County, Colorado, United States
Coordinates38°19′N 108°51′W / 38.317°N 108.850°W / 38.317; -108.850 

Paradox Valley is a basin located in western Montrose County in the U.S. state of Colorado. The dry, sparsely populated valley is named after the apparently paradoxical course of the Dolores River—instead of flowing down the length of the valley, the river cuts across the middle and through the sheer walls of large mesas on either side.[1] The valley is the site of a Bureau of Reclamation salinity-control project which has caused thousands of earthquakes,[2] and is the proposed location of a new uranium mill which would be the first built in the United States in over 25 years.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference gnis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference outcrop was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference telluride was invoked but never defined (see the help page).