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<br />in the plains portion. The mountains reach elevations over 14,000 feet <br /> <br /> <br />above sea level. The plains range in elevation between 4,500 and ,000 <br /> <br />.' <br /> <br />feet and the elevation at the mouth of the river is about 4,430 fe~t <br />I <br />above sea level. The slope of the river above Badito, Colorado (Mfle <br />72) varies from more than a hundred feet per mile in the upper ParriOn <br />to about 43 feet per mile iw~ediately above Badito. Between Baditr, and <br />the canyon section the average slope is approximately 36 feet per t'le, <br />while throughout the canyon section it averages about 27 feet per 'le. <br />In the valley below the canyon section the average slope of the ril er <br />is approximately 19, feet per mile. In the reach of the river betreen <br />Badito and the canyon section the estimated channel capacity variep <br />from about 5,000 cubic feet per second immediately below Badito tolabout <br />35,000 cubic feet per second at the lower end. The estimated chantel <br />capacity in the lower valley section between the canyon and the mouth of <br />the river varies from 38,000 cubic feet per second to upwards of 5~,000 <br />cubic feet per second. I <br />7. Description - Geolo~v. - The Huerfano River watershed emb aces <br /> <br />parts of two geologic provinces; the t1 Southern Rocky Mountain Prov ncell <br /> <br />in the mountainous western portion and the IIColorado Piedmont" see ion <br /> <br />of the IlGreat Plains Provinoetl in the plains portion. The headwat rs of <br /> <br />the river, in the upper mountainous portion, flow over young sedim ntary <br /> <br />formations of the Eocene Period, including the Huerfano, Cuchara, oison <br /> <br /> <br />Canyon and Raton formations. Thes~ formations are made up of vari gated <br /> <br /> <br />sandstones, conglomerates and shales. At the extreme headwaters i the <br /> <br />Sangre de Cristo Range these formations are fa1.11ted against undivi ed <br /> <br />Pennsylvanian and Permian formations. Also in this area are sever 1 <br /> <br />small igneous intrusions of tertiary age. "At Badito, the river 1e ves <br /> <br /> <br />the Southern Rocky Mountain Province and enters the Great Plains P ovince <br /> <br />which is characterized by gently rolling plains and flat-topped me as, <br /> <br /> <br />resulting from erosion of flat-lying strata. In the Colorado Pied ant <br /> <br />- 5 - <br /> <br />:1 <br />