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<br />O\liH81. <br /> <br />10 <br /> <br />plants further from the maIn channel Is quite different than the phreato- <br />phytes. These plants It is seen have adapted for life in a semi-arId climate <br />and can withstand mild droughts quite well. They have natural mechanisms <br />which store water when it Is plentiful and conserve It for long periods. <br />Pinon pine, juniper, yucca, and cacti are some of the more obvious larger <br />plants in the valley. ' <br /> <br />SALIDA TO CANON CITY (7100 feet to 5300 feet) <br /> <br />Between Salida and Canon City In Fremont County (55 miles) there are <br />two main mountain ranges Influencing the character of the river. It follows <br />the Sangre de Cristo Range on the south from Sal ida to Cotopaxl (24 miles) <br />where the river turns to the northeast. In the north are the ArkanSaS Hills <br />which crowd in toward the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, forming an almost con- <br />tinuous canyon environment for the river between Sal ida and Canon City. The <br />canyon reaches tts climax at Royal Gorge with sheer 2000-foot cl iffs. Just <br />south of Canon City and forming as a northern offshoot of the Sangre de Cristo <br />Mountains are the Wet Mountains. With the Sangre de Cristo Mountains they form <br />the ~et Mountain Valley, a major tributary area to the Arkansas RIver. ThIs <br />area Is drained by Grape and Texas Creeks. Much of what was said about the <br />upper basin Is also true for this reach. The mountains crowd the rIver more <br />in this stretch than above. The stream still alternates with pools and rapids, <br />has a drop of 50 feet per mile, and has occas ional smal I is lands covered with <br />phreatophytes. The banks have angular boulders or rock outcrops. Major tri- <br />butaries Include Badger Creek, Red Gulch, Reese Creek, Texas, Tallahassee, <br />Currant and Grape Creeks. <br /> <br />The geology of this reach consists mainly of Pre-Cambrian granit~s and <br />gneisses, but also Includes some Permian, Carboniferous, Devonian, and SOme <br />younger sedimentary rocks. The soil cover is thtn, and outcrops of rock are <br />often exposed. The lack of alluvium and presence of hard rock near the surface <br />Is an Important consIderation when considering amounts of river water lost to <br />ground water reservoirs. In this section, negl iglble amounts would be lost. <br /> <br />Irrigated land along the main river is essentially non-existent hecause <br />of the steep terrain, and lack of arable soil. However, on the upper reaches <br />of Grape and Texas Creeks in the Wet Mountain Valley there are substantial <br />alluvium deposits from alluvial fans and high flood flows. DeWeese-Dye Reser- <br />voir on Grape Creek, with a capacity of 1770 acre-feet, helps supply the water <br />for Irrigation of this valley. <br /> <br />CANON CITY TO COLORADO CANAL (5300 feet to 4500 feet) <br /> <br />At Canon CIty the Arkansas River merges into the open country, but as far <br />down as Pueblo Is confined between low hills or mesas of sedimentary rock. <br />The 9radlent of 15 feet per mIle is small enou9h so that the flow Is much <br />more tranquil and the river channel begins to meander. Its flood plain is <br />wide and its banks are low and in many places almost flat. Angular rocks and <br />rock outcrops are non-existent. The bottom of the channel is quite smooth <br />and consists generally of relatively fine particles. Major trIbutaries are <br />OIl Creek, Oak Creek, Hardscrabble Creek, Eightmile Creek, Beaver Creek, <br />Turkey Creek, the Fountain Creek, St. Charles River, Chico Creek and Si~mlle <br />