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<br />STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />Community Description <br /> <br />The Town of Saguache is located within Saguache County, Colorado, in the San Luis <br />Valley in south central Colorado. Please refer to the Vicinity Map, Figure 1. The <br />population of Saguache is approximately 700, The Town is the County Seat of Saguache <br />County; agriculture, ranching, tourism, and retail sales in population centers dominate the <br />economic base of the County. The Town is located within a semi-arid climate and annual <br />precipitation averages about 8 inches. Snowfall averages about 26 inches per year and <br />generally falls between November and March. The mean annual temperature is <br />approximately 590 F; the average temperature in January is approximately 360 F and the <br />average temperature in July is approximately 8 I 0 F. <br /> <br />Watershed Description <br /> <br />Saguache Creek is located in the Rio Grande Basin east of the continental divide. <br />Saguache Creek generally flows from west to east and flows south of the Town of <br />Saguache. The Creek is contained by Highway 114 south of the Town. Its headwaters is <br />found along the Continental Divide at elevations greater than 14,000 feet. Saguache <br />Creek is a perennial stream whose base flow in late summer is approximately 100 cfs. <br />Much of the drainage basin upstream of Saguache is undeveloped public lands, including <br />lands administered by BLM and the Rio Grande National Forest. The elevation of the <br />Town is about 7220 feet. <br /> <br />U, S, Geological Survey (USGS) operates Gaging Station 08227000 along Saguache <br />Creek which is located approximately 8 miles west of Saguache, The drainage area <br />upstream of the gage is approximately 595 square miles, The drainage area of Saguache <br />Creek at the Town of Saguache is approximately 712 square miles, <br /> <br />A stream identified as Unnamed Tributary discharges into the town of Saguache from the <br />north. Storm flows from this tributary are impounded behind the embankment caused by <br />Highway 285 and enter the Town as sheet flow over the Highway, The drainage area of <br />Unnamed Tributary at Highway 285 is approximately 10.5 square miles, Findley Gulch <br />located west of Unnamed Tributary reportedly has caused flooding in the Town, and its <br />drainage area at Highway 285 is approximately 18.6 square miles, Flood events in these <br />two tributaries are likely the result of high-intensity thunderstorms. Ranching and <br />fanning activities dominate both Tributaries. <br /> <br />4 <br />