Little Thompson River
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The Little Thompson River is a tributary of the Big Thompson River and ultimately the South Platte River in the U.S. state of Colorado.
The river's headwaters lay in the Roosevelt National Forest and flow east into Larimer County through the town of Berthoud, Colorado between Longmont to the south and Loveland to the north. The Little Thompson joins the Big Thompson River near that river's confluence with the South Platte River, near the town of Greeley, Colorado.
The Little Thompson runs approximately 20 miles from its headwaters to the confluence with the Big Thompson, and descends approximately 1/2 mile (800 m) in elevation through the mountains. Its run includes at least one 15-foot waterfall, and numerous granite box canyons. The river had no man-made dams as of 2007. It is managed as part of the Colorado-Big Thompson project.
The river is considered a Class IV+ waterway, marginally navigable by experienced kayakers, and then only when it is in flood stage during the rainy Spring season.
Among the fish species observed in the river, Brook Trout, Mountain whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, and Sculpin are the most numerous.
