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<br />~, . <br /> <br />, . <br /> <br />( <br /> <br />( <br /> <br />CGlorado <br /> <br />The Continental Divide in Colorado separates the State into ~.o <br /> <br />~ajor drainages - the Colorado River on the west and the Platte, <br /> <br />Republican, Arkansas Rivers and Rio Grande on the east. The areas of <br /> <br />phreatophyte gro.th for which information is available occur in the <br /> <br />lower reaches of these streams and their valleys. Little is kno.n about <br /> <br />the extent of phreatophytes in their headwater areas. Hardy phreatophytes <br /> <br />such as aspen. willow, cottonwood and 'grasses are known to occur. but <br /> <br />there are no data on their areal extent. <br /> <br />Tables 1 and 2 have been compiled from the available published <br /> <br />inror;nation and data. These data have for the most part been ta),en rr:lm <br /> <br />reports on ground water by the Geological Sur-ley and from the "Water and <br /> <br />related land resources" reports of the Soil Conservation Service. The <br /> <br />total a~ea of phreatophyte growth as compiled from these data is abo~t <br /> <br />1.650.000 acres.. About q7 percent of this, 786.000 acres are in the <br /> <br />Colorado River drainage. 40 percent in the Rio Grande draina6e and the <br /> <br />remaining 13 percent in the east><ard flowing streams. <br /> <br />The largest single area estimated as 660,000 acres lies in San Luis <br /> <br />valley of the Rio Grande drainage. This estimate is based on the acreage <br /> <br />of native vegetation as given in the report of tha Rio Grande Joint <br /> <br />---- , <br /> <br />Investigation of 1938, covering the upper Rio Grande Basin. adjusted for <br /> <br />changes in the vegetative cover. During' the 30 years between the preparation <br /> <br />of that report and the present there has been a reduction in the native <br /> <br />vegetation. by conversion to agriculture or urban development. Observations <br /> <br />1130 <br />