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Paleoclimatic records of the Great Plains, including The most severe sustained drought in the tree-ring
<br /> the South Platte River Basin and the Arkansas River record for the Rio Grande Basin occurred in 1573-
<br /> basin, indicate that widespread prolonged drought 1592.
<br /> (3-10 years) equaled or surpassed the 1930's
<br /> drought in intensity and duration in the late 1750s,
<br /> early 1820s, and early 1860s. Major droughts that a '
<br /> likely exceeded twentieth century droughts occurred 1- -
<br /> on the Great Plains in the second part of the 16th w 0 �i If. ��., 1 i! at, l,. 1. ,� �I
<br /> century (possibly the periods 1539 to1564 and from ;, T 1i T
<br /> 1587 to 1605) and the last quarter of the 13th a-1
<br /> century (possibly from1276 to1313). The evidence -2- `1573_15s2 -
<br /> further suggests at least four periods of widespread
<br /> multi-decadal drought occurred on the Great Plains 100 1000 1100 1200 1300 140Ye1500 1600 1700 1800 1900
<br /> between A. D. 1 and 1200 (roughly in the periods
<br /> 250-300, 750-800, 940-990, and 1130-1180).
<br /> Arkansas River Basin San Miguel-Dolores-San Juan River Basins
<br /> Sufficient precipitation records are available from Sufficient precipitation records are available from
<br /> 1891 in the lower Arkansas River Basin and from 1898. Recent droughts in the San Miguel-Dolores-
<br /> 1880 in the upper basin. Recent droughts in the San Juan River Basins occurred in 1899-1905
<br /> lower Arkansas River Basin occurred in 1894-1898, (extreme), 1918-1919, 1931-1936, 1945-1947,
<br /> 1911-1913, 1934-1941 (extreme), 1952-1957, 1964- 1951-1952, 1954-1957, 1976-1978, and 1989-1991.
<br /> 1966, 1974-1977, and 1981-1982. Recent droughts The most sustained drought in the tree-ring record
<br /> in the upper Arkansas River Basin occurred in for the San Miguel-Dolores-San Juan River Basins
<br /> 1880-1881 (extreme), 1888-1894, 1907-1909, 1932- occurred in 1273-1289. Many archaeologists
<br /> 1940, 1950-1956, 1963-1965, and 1975-1977. believe this period of severe sustained drought
<br /> coincided with the abandonment of Mesa Verde by
<br /> Tree-ring Record for Southeastern Colorado the Anasazi. Several shorter, but more severe
<br /> (Point 60),1700-1979 droughts, were identified between AD 512 and
<br /> 6.0 1673.
<br /> O. 40
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<br /> i1IWI!IIWfI !
<br /> Mesa Ve rde Deocinade N oo1 (I�14 ao�
<br /> al A.D.•196$AD.
<br /> 2.7 a 11111111111111 Lillilthii n
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<br /> li _ e 1i �t. F ! I 1,1 5 . ! - ~taar r
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<br /> ' L1 11 1. 11 ..1 _
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<br /> Rio Grande Basin 481 201 681 181 b1 981 1981 1181 1111 1351 1411 1601 1E11 1181 1881 1981
<br /> Tar
<br /> Sufficient precipitation records in the Rio Grande °-'°~ °- 6ie °
<br /> Basin are available from 1897. Recent droughts in
<br /> the Rio Grande Basin occurred in 1897, 1900-1906,
<br /> 1923, 1939-1940, 1943-1947, 1950-1952 (extreme),
<br /> 1955-1956, 1963-1964, 1972-1973, and 1996-1997.
<br /> 4
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