Virgin River

Virgin River
Virgen River, Rio de la Virgen[1]
Virgin River in Zion National Park
The Virgin River watershed
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNevada, Utah, Arizona
Physical characteristics
Sourceconfluence of East Fork and North Fork
 • locationNavajo Reservoir, Dixie National Forest, Utah
 • coordinates37°9′44″N 113°0′51″W / 37.16222°N 113.01417°W / 37.16222; -113.01417[2]
 • elevation3,763 ft (1,147 m)[3]
MouthColorado River
 • location
Lake Mead, Lake Mead National Recreation Area
 • coordinates
36°8′46″N 114°24′59″W / 36.14611°N 114.41639°W / 36.14611; -114.41639[2]
 • elevation
1,204 ft (367 m)[2]
Length162 mi (261 km)[3]
Basin size12,250 sq mi (31,700 km2)approx.
Discharge 
 • locationSt. George, Utah[4]
 • average183 cu ft/s (5.2 m3/s)[4]
 • minimum0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
 • maximum55,000 cu ft/s (1,600 m3/s)
Basin features
River systemNorth and East Forks Virgin River
Tributaries 
 • leftFort Pearce Wash
 • rightAsh Creek, Santa Clara River, Beaver Dam Wash, Toquop Wash, Muddy River
TypeWild 145.4 miles (234.0 km)
Scenic 11.3 miles (18.2 km)
Recreational 12.6 miles (20.3 km)
DesignatedMarch 30, 2009[5]

The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. states of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The river is about 162 miles (261 km) long.[3] It was designated Utah's first wild and scenic river in 2009, during the centennial celebration of Zion National Park.

  1. ^ Byrd H. Granger (1983). Arizona's Names (X Marks the Place). Tucson, Arizona: The Falconer Publishing Company. p. 652.
  2. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Virgin River
  3. ^ a b c Calculated with Google Maps and Google Earth
  4. ^ a b "USGS Gage #09413500 on the Virgin River near St. George, UT" (PDF). National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  5. ^ "National Wild and Scenic Rivers System". rivers.gov. National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved 2023-01-05.