The Colorado River ends its 2330 km journey in the Gulf of Mexico in Baja
California. The heavy use of the river as an irrigation source for the
Imperial Valley has dessicated the lower course of the river in Mexico
such that it no longer consistently reaches the sea. Prior to the mid 20th
century, the Colorado River Delta provided a rich estuarine marshland that
is now essentially desiccated, but nonetheless is an important ecological
resource.
The image was acquired May 29, 2006, covers an area of 44.3 x 57.5 km, and
is located at 32.1 degrees north latitude, 115.1 degrees west longitude.
The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission
Directorate.