Laserfiche WebLink
43 <br />1 <br />Land Cover <br />' The land cover in the watershed is estimated in Table A: <br />' Table A - Land Cover <br />Land Cover % Acres <br />' Cropland, irrigated 75.1 <br />Rangeland 23.7 <br />Other(roads /towns) 1.2 <br />44,500 <br />14,050 <br />700 <br />Total 100.0 59,250 <br />The crops being grown on the irrigated cropland are estimated in <br />Table B: <br />Table B - Cropland Distribution <br />Crop <br />% <br />Acres <br />Alfalfa <br />61.3 <br />27275 <br />Grain Corn <br />9.0 <br />4025 <br />Grain Sorghum <br />13.1 <br />5825 <br />Small Grain <br />7.2 <br />3200 <br />Pasture & Hayland <br />2.2 <br />975 <br />Misc. other crops <br />and fallow <br />7.2 <br />3200 <br />Total 100.0 44,500 acres <br />No significant land cover and cropland distribution change is <br />anticipated in the future. 98% of land in the watershed is privately <br />owned and 2% is state land. <br />Climate <br />The semiarid climate of the study area is characterized by low to <br />moderate precipitation, substantial evaporation, low humidity, moderate <br />to intense winds, and a large daily range in temperature. At Las <br />Animas, the mean annual temperature is 54.5 deg. F, with the mean <br />January temperature of 29.6 deg.F, and the mean July temperature of <br />79.3 deg F. The average high temperature in July is 96,.9 deg. F and <br />the average low is 62 deg F. The average time between killing frosts <br />is about 175 days. The last killing frost generally occurs in late <br />April, and the first killing frost occurs in mid - October. <br />The mean annual precipitation at John Martin Dam is 11.7 inches. About <br />75 to 80 percent of the annual precipitation falls as rain during the <br />growing season. Lamar's conditions are nearly the same. <br />10 <br />