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O(l~~59 fI' CHAPTER II GENERAL DISCUSSIONS Location and Physical Geography The South San Juan project area is located in San Juan County ir, the northwest corner of New Mexico and lies astride a section of the east boundary of the Navajo Indian Reservation. The project lands li", on the mesas south of the San Juan River between Farmington and Bloomfield. The relatively flat relief of the mesa lands is marked by shallow arroyos and sand dunes formed by wind action. Tributaries of the Chaoo River, Gallegos Canyon, and a few other minor tributaries of San Juan River drain the area which slopes generally to the northwest. The arable lands considered range in elevation from 5,400 to 6,135 feet. They lie between the narrow dunes and are located generally in the broad swales which slope moderately to the main drainages. The project area lies near the center of a broad, geologic structural basin located within the broader San Juan River Basin. .. San Juan River, second largest tributary of the Colorado River, heads on tile western slope of the Continental Divide in southwestern Colorado. The river drains a total of 25,000 square miles in the general region of the common boundary corner of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The greater part of the stream run-off, however, comes from the San Juan and La Plata Mountains. Several mountain peaks on the northeast rim of the basin reach more than 13,000 feet above sea level. From these heights the basin drops in elevation to 3,260 feet at the mouth of the San Juan River. With elevation differences of nearly 2 miles between highest and lowest points, the San Juan River Basin area is one of extreme contrast in topography and climate. High tree-clad mountain areas with numerous clear, fish-stocked streams , and small lakes rapidly give way to fertile foothill valleys and mesas. These valleys and mesas merge into a vast, broken and barren, but picturesque and highly colored plateau area through which the lower portion of the San Juan and its silt-laden tribu- taries flow in deeply entrenched rocky gorges to the Colorado River. Rich in prehistoric Indian ruins, in natural wonders, and in spec- tacular scenic beauty, the basin has great recreational value. Its eight National monuments, one National Park, and numerous other points of interest attract many vacationists. .. 16 ,,; ,''':