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<br />.- . "
<br />4'toJ
<br />
<br />NATURAL FACTORS
<br />l;hundt-r$toml:l: in arid envirQnm",ms, /:ouch a'" in lhe \\.C'<,ICIll pan
<br />oflhe~U(,OL :llu,Jy unil, c:.m<;e largt' suspendC'li""cullnenlloM<;
<br />in ,:..tream<:, Nalurul hot :-pnnp ullItriooh: alll.lUI .'iOn,oon h1n'
<br />ot dis$.Q,I.vt'd sO/II.1s \ 15 percell! of the Iot;11 salinilY' annually 10
<br />~~trcams in lhe ba)in.
<br />
<br />Physiography and Climate
<br />
<br />The phy,io,!!raphy i" ch;Lraclt'r1h'd hy high mounlain, mlhe l'a,1
<br />and platt'au, ilnd valley, 1Il1ht' "(",I. T"ll phy 'illgr;lphic J1rovilln~'
<br />divide lhe 'Iudy unit; Ihe Snulht'm ROI:l..y \loullIaill' ill Ihe t';I,km
<br />pan and lht' CIlI"r;ltl'll'laleau 1Il1ht" "e'Il.'m p;Ln (fig_ II. Tht' (';1'1-
<br />l'm ilnd southern hound.me, (lllhe 'ludy unll folio" Iht' Ct'nlJll<;'Il-
<br />1:11 Divide, BL','aU't' of brgt'" dlllcrcnct" in ;lhLlude 1x'1""t'l1 Iht'"
<br />phY'lographic PW\ JIlI'I", dim;llt' varit'", 'Uh,I:lllliaJly lx'IWCe:1l llll'
<br />e:;hle:m ;lIld \\<;"Iem pan, ot Ihe t>;"in. Daily, nlO111hly, ;lIld ;lIlnU~I]
<br />a\crage: 1I'IIlpt'ralure' ;lrl'11Igh""1 ;11 the' Ill\\.e:r alllludc, 10 Ih,' \1,"1
<br />('Iimall' change, frorn '1Ipinc CillldllicHl' inlhe ,'a,1 III Wfllland 10
<br />arid conditioll' in tl1l' \le,1. Prl'npn:llion gl'nnally r,ll1!o'e.. lrom
<br />40 1Il,'h<;" or m"rt' pn YL'ar 1Il111l' l'a'tem pan ollht'" tla,in lOll'"
<br />Ihan 10 iIH:he, per YL',lr in lht' w<;"le:m pan (If Ihe tla,in (tig, 2).
<br />
<br />
<br />EXPLANATiON
<br />COlolO
<br />c::I: >101020
<br />- >201030
<br />- >301040
<br />- >40 Of more
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />1O 00_0$
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />1O 4O'~'tll!l
<br />
<br />Figure 2. Average annual preCIpItatIOn 1000lfIChes) In Ihe Upper
<br />COlorado RIver Bastn sludy unLt (Colo/ado Climate Cenler 19841
<br />
<br />Geology and Soils
<br />Th,' ulllk-rlym),' lx'dn,,:1.. in lh..: 'ludy UTili I'"n'I'" I'fed',"lIlJ,.llllly
<br />pi cry,lal]irw ;lnJ 'l'dmwnt.lr~ r,...I..,. ..\llu\ imll. l','n,i'lill~ 1.1
<br />'Ire:am,land..lidL'.lnT;l':I', ,iIId ),'I,h:lal dt'p",il'. I~ prt"~'nl in \ <llk~,
<br />lhwut:hpUllh,' b;L'ltI. In ligur... .'. lh,' lx.dr.....1.. ft'IlI,,;:y ha~ Ix'l'n
<br />di\jJt'd 1I111ll),'ne,'u, ;tJ1d I1lt'larnl''l'hil' fl'l.I.,: ~c',hrne:lll<lry n...'I..,
<br />(lut1h,'r ,ul:ltll\ l,i"l1~ "I 1111' unll \Ier<;, n1<t.k II a prl'J,'rl1lTl,ml n...'1..
<br />l~f't.,..f (<trllonale, ~,l!1d'llllw,..r ,h;L1~' \Ia' 1.k-ntlliL'dl: Itllru'l\l'
<br />r,...'I.., Wlh:1l a,,,...);II,'d 1~t1h IllIl1l'r,L1 d"['t"I"'; ;Lt1d \ "I. ,till, r,...'I..,
<br />
<br />Wcalherjng or Ih..: dlrkn:nt ge:ologll: UOll.. atlt'l'" walt'H-Juality
<br />~'ondiliolh in lht' 'Iudy uml. 11K' igncou, and rnclanlOrpllll' r1":I..,
<br />or the uppt."r ba'trll'C'ntnhul<;, kwl'r 'OIUle:, 11> thl" ,tr(;'am' Ih;m do
<br />Ihe 'l'(hmt'lJtary Tl>\:I.., "r tht' lo"er ha,in. AI higher ahilUde~ in th..:
<br />upper tla'Lrl, npmt"d igncoll', iIl(;'lalllorphic. and volcanic rod.., art'"
<br />faIrly rt',j,I;1Il1ltl "<;,alh<;,nng, anJ Ihu, ,alinilY in Iht'" wat.:r j~ Inw III
<br />Ih<;,..(;' Uppt'f 'lre;un r";jcht'",. ,,\1'0, mmcrali/ed ;Ir(;'a, mth,' upr"."r
<br />ba'lIl cOfllrihult" trace ekmclll' 10 lht' ,ur1'ac(;' anJ ground "al,'p,:.
<br />
<br />\\'h(;'1I tht' 'Iream, nml<;' in nml,l(1 wilh oul[[op' of ""dimenlary
<br />n>\:l.., in Ih(;' miJdk and In\~~'r n'achL" nlllK'lla'IIl, ,alinilY in lht'
<br />"all'r mn...a'e,. In Ih... m(lr~' arid dltnat" ,II [o",'r altilude, in lh,'
<br />"t'"'k'm p;Jr1 oflhe ha,in. pr<;,,'ipu<tlJon cOllllllon]y I' in th<;, fonl1
<br />ollhund,'r'h'mh, ,LIld runolf lromlhunda'l"nn, ,'an J.:Il\cr larg~'
<br />l"aJ, of ..e:dlm(;'nt .lnd ..a]1\ 10 Iht'" ,lr~'am~. In ad.hlloll, <;,vaporalion
<br />in Ihi~ arid dUlI;ll... ...nharK," the ,Il"l'urnul;illl>rl or ,alt, on lit,.
<br />,nil. \\ hi.h tht'n <:an lx' ,klivt'"T,'d I" ,lrcan" dunng "oml runoll,
<br />Sl'kniurn I' pr.....t.f11 nalurally 1Il1ht' ,hale lx~dH....l (It' Iht'" middk
<br />,Ill.! lo"cr r,'adle:" and il I,,-..-ur, lIIlhe: 'Urlill'l' and g.ruund wall'r...
<br />
<br />Thl' pr"'CI1~"l' "f mall~ 1Il1lleral 'pnng' in lht'" 'ludy unit "I'll ha,
<br />a 11\,IJIlr ...nC:<:1 IlIl ".lll;'r (lualily. 111(;' 'pnng.' pnltlilrlly ar... 1t....;lte.lln
<br />l',ulll.lIlale: w..:1.. unit.. in Ih,' area ,uITt'undlllg (jkl1\\\'''u Spring',
<br />Colo_ lrig'. I and Jl. The mint'tal h"t 'prlllg' l'lmtrihule al:lt'UI
<br />1:'\ pt.rt't'nl 01 Ih~' ""1;11 ,alinuy annually h' Illl' ,lrl',tIll.. 111 IlK' t>..,in
<br />(U.S, rkpannll'llI "r th,' Interior, 19(1)1.
<br />
<br />Snll, ;11'0 call ;tH,,'l"\ """'r ljualtlY IX'C;IU'l' 'Ill!.. ,',tJl he iI ,our,'(;'
<br />of ,u'lx'n.ll'd ""tlllwlll ;1Il,t ,"Iuhk matnl..l, I..alt,.. SU'l't'ndt'"
<br />'t'JIIIWI11 In ,tr,';1I11" pr,'tJulIlin.llllly I' ;1 r~"ull pt l'h,lIllll'l l'w,ioll
<br />and 'llil...ro,illn frlllll ,loml runoff. (;(;'rwr,llIy, 'U'IX,tlded.,,'Jill1l'nl
<br />l."tllll'...mrallOlh in 'Irt';IITi' illd"iI'" Inllll the t'a't,'m edg(;' of Ihe:
<br />Color.Ld" Plall",Hl rhy ""graphIC pnl\ ilKe: /lllh,' "lull,," "flh,'
<br />tl..,in allhe Color"do.lll.lh Slalt'llllc. Sllluhk 1ll;lll'n..!.. M~> ..dd~'ll
<br />Itllhe 'Ir,'am, hy ,I.'rlll ruuon.
<br />
<br />
<br />EXPlANATION
<br />. .~....
<br /> Metarnorpt>il;
<br /> S&d;menlary
<br />- UndI..id<td
<br />. Carbona'l"
<br />. Sandstone
<br />. s.....
<br />. Inl'...''''''
<br />. \'okanic
<br />
<br />Figure 3. General'zed geology of me Upper Coloraoo RIver BaSin
<br />study ulllllmOOLhed trom Schruben ana othe's 19741
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