Colorado Quote by Keith Meldahl
““Colorado and Wyoming are America’s highest states, averaging 6,800 feet and 6,700 feet above sea level. Utah comes in third at 6,100 feet, New Mexico, Nevada, and Idaho each break 5,000 feet, and the rest of the field is hardly worth mentioning. At 3,400 feet, Montana is only half as high as Colorado, and Alaska, despite having the highest peaks, is even further down the list at 1,900 feet. Colorado has more fourteeners than all the other U.S. states combined, and more than all of Canada too. Colorado’s lowest point (3,315 feet along the Kansas border) is higher than the highest point in twenty other states. Rivers begin here and flow away to all the points of the compass. Colorado receives no rivers from another state (unless you count the Green River’s’ brief in and out from Utah).Wyoming’s Wind River Range is the only mountain in North America that supplies water to all three master streams of the American West: Missouri, Colorado, and Columbia rivers.””
About This Quote
The passage highlights Colorado’s and Wyoming’s extreme elevations and their significance in U.S. geography, especially regarding water sources.
In simple terms: Colorado and Wyoming are the highest U.S. states and crucial for river origins.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how elevation impacts climate and water resources.
Themes
geography
elevation
hydrology
U.S. states
mountains
Mood
informative
analytical
Type
educational
explanatory
When to use this quote
- planning travel
- environmental education
- resource management
- climate studies
Key Concepts
topography
water cycle
state comparisons
Questions to Reflect On
- How does elevation shape a region’s ecosystem?
- What are the implications of water sources originating in high‑altitude areas?
A Different Perspective
Higher elevation does not always mean more water flow; local climate can limit river development.
