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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Native vegetation in the mQuntainous headwater regions consists IJrgelY <br />of aspen, fir, pinon, oak brush and native grasses. A small port~on is <br />under cultivation. On the plains below Badito,'. Colorado, native" ~egeta- <br />I <br />tien is limited largely to sagebrush, cactus and a sparse growth 0 <br /> <br />grass characteristic of a semiarid region. Overgrazing and a defi <br /> <br />ciency of moisture have resulted in a dearth of vegetation general y <br /> <br />throughout the basin. <br /> <br />4. Description of the Main River. - The Huerfano River is fo ad by <br /> <br /> <br />the junction of Huerfa~o Creek ane South Huerfano River (Mile 99 , in <br /> <br /> <br />the precipitous eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo Range of t e <br /> <br />Rocky Mountains, approxim~tely 34 miles west of Walsenburg, Colora o. <br /> <br /> <br />From its source the river flows in a generally easterly direction n <br /> <br /> <br />Huerfano County, Colorado, about 27 miles to Badit~, Colorado (Mil 72). <br /> <br />From this point the river flows in a general easterly and northeas .erly- <br /> <br />direction in Huerfano and Pueblo Counties, Colorado, to join the A kansas <br /> <br /> <br />River near Boone, COlorado, about 1,252 miles above its mouth. Tht <br /> <br /> <br />Wuerfano River and its tributaries, inCluding the Cuchara River, d ain <br /> <br /> <br />an area of approximately 1,860 square miles. The Ruerfano River i not <br /> <br />cor.Bid0r~d navigable. <br /> <br />5. Descriotion of Tributaries. - The prineipal tributary of t e <br />Huerfa-no River is the Cuchara (also known as the Gucharas) .-Ri ver, 'i hieh:. <br />rises on the easte:rn slope of the Culebra Range of the Rocky MountII. ns'. <br />The Cuchara River drains an area of about 735 square miles and flo.~ in <br />a northeasterly direction about 59 miles in Huerfano County from it~ <br />source to its junction with the Huerfano River (Mile 33), Other l <br />tributaries are relatively of less-importance, draining areas of fr ~ a <br />fow square milGS to about 120 square miles. All important tributar'es <br />of the Huerfano River arc shown in Table No, 1. <br /> <br />- 3 - <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />--'- <br />