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<br />Description
<br />
<br />conditions are typified by a higher proportion of blue grama over de.
<br />creased amounts \:)f western wheatgrass and green needlegrass.
<br />The shrub, mountain mahogany, d{lllinates the cover on the rangelands
<br />having thin soil depths over sandstone. These are in the Shallow Foot-
<br />hills range site. Slimstem l!RJhly, needle and thread, and dwarf blue
<br />graTlla are the most CamlOn grasses on these shallow gravelly soils.
<br />A number of shcwy wild flowers grew in the !;OVer and are conspicUOl.ls
<br />during the spring and slBMl\Cr. These include the OIttle poisoning lark
<br />spur and groundsels, pasque flower, little sunflower and numerous others.
<br />Most of the native vegetation is in fair to good condition thrwghout
<br />the watershed. The hydrologic vegetative condition for purposes of esti-
<br />TlIating nmoff is estimated at SO percent poor and SO percent fair to
<br />good. There is a potential for improvement of this condition.
<br />About 19 percent, or 30,740 acres, of the watershed area classifies as
<br />forest or brush.covered land located in the upper reaches of the water-
<br />shed. The 13,34(1 acres of forest is mainly open-grown small-she
<br />ponderosa pine with underlying bunchgrasses and sagebrush. A mountain
<br />majogany brush type covers 17,400 acres. The forest and brush-covered
<br />areas are grazed in varying intensities. Ground cover densities average
<br />65 (forest) and 52 (brosh) percent. Hydrologic improve!lIent potential
<br />is relatively low due to soil and slope conditions.
<br />The remaining portions of the watershed consist of mostly irrigated
<br />croplands along the Boxelder flood plain and adjacent areas served by
<br />gravity diversion and a few pumps for supplemental irrigation, and in
<br />miscellaneous uses such as roads, railroads, farmsteads, lakes, and
<br />rural uses. ~st of the irrigated and miscellaneous lands arc located
<br />bolcw the proposed st:"'..lct'.lr:ll progr:lll1 ;tt'.c presont ::10 preble::: of :"'.m.off
<br />and erosion pollution.
<br />Of particular interest to wildlife and sportsmen groups is the 1,242
<br />acre Wellington State Wildlife Area located along the Indian Creek
<br />flood plain southeast of Wellington, Colorado. This is a pred<:minantly
<br />wet area where ground water is forced to the surface by tighter soils
<br />and shallow depths to shale. Cover and food plots have been put in for
<br />waterfowl and game birds. The Wellington Wildlife Aroa provides good
<br />pheasant, duck and rabbit hunting during those seasons. Sportsmen and
<br />otr.ers may use t.'Je area at any time for hiking, hunting, bird watching
<br />or other diversions. ~o parking or camping is permitted within the
<br />area.
<br />
<br />Land Use
<br />
<br />,,~
<br />
<br />Colorado
<br />Acres
<br />
<br />Cropland
<br />Irrigated
<br />Non-irrigated
<br />
<br />30,685
<br />12,400
<br />
<br />Hayland
<br />
<br />Irrigated
<br />
<br />Wildlife Y
<br />""',
<br />Grassland
<br />Brushland
<br />
<br />1,882
<br />
<br />64,495
<br />15,780
<br />12,540
<br />n,815
<br />7,300
<br />145,082
<br />
<br />Forestland
<br />Sub-total (Range
<br />and Forest land)
<br />
<br />Miscellaneous
<br />lUfAL
<br />
<br />1:01Iing
<br />cres
<br />
<br />222
<br />
<br />120
<br />
<br />12,175
<br />1,620
<br />
<br />800
<br />14,595
<br />621
<br />15,558
<br />
<br />Total
<br />Acres
<br />
<br />30,685
<br />12,400
<br />
<br />222
<br />
<br />2,002
<br />
<br />76,670
<br />17,400
<br />
<br />13,340
<br />107,410
<br />
<br />7,921
<br />160,640
<br />
<br />Description
<br />
<br />Square Miles
<br />
<br />Percent
<br />
<br />47.9
<br />19.4
<br />
<br />19.1
<br />7.7
<br />
<br />.35
<br />3.1
<br />
<br />.1'
<br />1.3
<br />
<br />119.8
<br />27.2
<br />
<br />47.7
<br />10.9
<br />8.3
<br />
<br />20.8
<br />
<br />167.8
<br />12.4
<br />251.0
<br />
<br />66.9
<br />
<br />'.9
<br />100.0
<br />
<br />y Includes 1,242 acres in the Wellington State Wildlife Area.
<br />
<br />Climate
<br />
<br />The climate is semi.arid with average annual precipitation of 14.0 inches
<br />based on 63 years of recorU at Fort Collins, located 2 miles southwest
<br />of the watershed boundary.
<br />
<br />Periods of low rainfall are C(lIII1lOn as a result of the uneven distribu-
<br />tion of the precipitation. Variations occur fr01l year to year as well as
<br />within any given year. The greatest recorded daily precipitation of 4.34
<br />inchesocO!rTed in September 190Z.
<br />The principal source of precipitation that causes damaging runoff is
<br />frCIII high intensity, short duration, convective type thunderstorms oc-
<br />curring over rather limited areas, generally in the period frCIII April
<br />to October. In the past 65 years, 24 floods have caused damage fr(lTl
<br />high peak runoff. These indicate that a storm resulting in sufficient
<br />runoff to produce minor damage to crops, irrigation systems and other
<br />flood plain improvements will occur once every t\.'o to three years.
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