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<br />ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
<br />
<br />Th.. ~a<:"ranWnl" J)islri,.t Corp_ of En;ri.
<br />,,,,,.,.,, l'rilldully a~knmd~dj("s Ih,. t'~'p.'ra.
<br />tion anol a_"ist'Ul.... of Ih(' ~loff"t ('..untl.
<br />l'Ia""in!' D"J,,".tment-""IM.'<:iall... ~'l". .Jud.~.
<br />Sldll,. and Jame" ~:, /"Inkrmin, Count"
<br />Enl'in,....r; lh(' City of Crail/:: the Col"ra<l~
<br />SIal., Ix-partm"nt nf Hill:hw".'",: Ih.. Cra;1I:
<br />";"'1';'." Courier: Ms. i\lk(' Hub:n,on. C"'''I(
<br />
<br />(.hamh,'r of (:Omm.'r..,,: .1nd nth"r.< who
<br />di.-.".tl,l'ur Jr,din.,."tl)' ai,11'<1 in Ihe pr..paralion
<br />of Ihi, ""port. Th" Stall' nf C<;llora,!o, Mc>ffat
<br />C'ltm:.,., and lh.. Ci1r ufCrai){cooj!{'raliv"I.I'
<br />fund",1 pr"pl'''''lio" of th.. dttailed lUJ>.
<br />oll:raphie map" nl'('d,,,1 fur lhi'f1uod hlt7.arrl
<br />informalion.<ltld,I.,
<br />
<br />BACKGROUND INFORMATION
<br />
<br />DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA
<br />Craix is located in northwe'tern ColO)radO)
<br />al an elHation ofaboul 6200 fffl. The rel/:ion.
<br />whi..h i, part of the phy,iographic province
<br />kllQwn as th~ Wyoming Basin, is a plateau
<br />characterized by broad areas of low lX'lief
<br />scparmed bysrarpsand cuestas. The western
<br />end of Ihe Williams ~'ork Mwnlains. a
<br />northwesterly ..xtendin" spur of the RockJ'
<br />MountainSystem.risestothesoUlhofth~city,
<br />RealS<'tllementdidnotoccur;nnorthwest.
<br />ern ('",Jorado until lhenomadie Ulelndians
<br />were permanently reiocated to Utah in 188l.
<br />The first settler in theCraigal'<"a arri\'edin
<br />that rear and a wwnsitc was laid out in 18S8.
<br />Forth.fin;t2(}"30~.ears.th"eommunitywas
<br />an"lf"dclIltura!c"r.terlarxch'dcpendcntupoll
<br />th.. rattl.. raisinR indu;lry. The town Was
<br />inCQrpnrattd in 1~08 and b<><.:amc the count\'
<br />Sl>at whl'n Moffat c..unty Wll$ crl'a~J OJ. ~
<br />division of Rolltt County in 1911. Around
<br />19'20, sheep "'er... inlrocluced to the area and,
<br />followinl("aperioclO)feonflictbelw~nsh""p.
<br />men and cattl..men. wl'refirmlycstablishe<:l
<br />by the 1930's when the Taylor Gra..ing Act
<br />made mullipleuscofo;>l'nranll"eland possible,
<br />T<Xia)'. ooth industril'l$ conlribute si~ifi.
<br />cantly 10 th.. .'..onomy of thl' r"Kion_ Oil
<br />production beeamc im!l'Jrtant to Crail(" when
<br />the :'wloffat Ficld wasopenel.l in 1924 and. as
<br />addilion:\Ifi..ldsw......brou!l"htin.ardiMrv
<br />(now closed and sal\'all"edJ was built. CraiR
<br />was the 5upplycent<>r for the ll..1ngclj. ~'itld.
<br />whirh was far fn>m markets and withoul
<br />IranSP\lrtalion, but not intensclydc\"t.!ope<l
<br />
<br />untiIWorldWarll.Theo;lboomoflhel920's
<br />made Craig the largest community in north.
<br />"'<:>st Colorado and the dcveJopment ofhl){h.
<br />wa)'Sdurin~ this period put the town at the
<br />inter<ect;onoft.....o maj(lrrou!cs. This opened
<br />the wa:.' for lransportation and tourism as new
<br />industries. Due 10) favorabl.. conditions of
<br />transportation. Crai.':" is a centerofxilsonite
<br />proceS1linx for rail or truek shipment. For
<br />manYi.{'ars.,-,xlractionofcoa!from\'a.~tbeds
<br />underlyinK )loffat County hl<.< had xrellt
<br />iml'lI<'tongro.....th anddcvclopm(>ntin""rth,
<br />.....esl Colorado.l:raniumminingcontributed
<br />10 the economy durinltthe 1950's.
<br />In ){en..ral. Craig has expericnced slo.....,
<br />slcndy.principallyaxrkultur:dl)'b=deco_
<br />nnmieXl"Owlh. In the last fewyears,ho.......\'er.
<br />
<br /> ,
<br />f I ,
<br /> ,
<br /> ,
<br />I "
<br /> r
<br /> J
<br />II i
<br />I ]
<br />I I
<br />I )
<br /> I
<br /> J
<br />
<br />DRAINAGE AREA
<br />
<br />The YSOIl'a Ril."r, :t we'l<'d... nO.....ing
<br />'Ir'.lIm in Ih.' stud.l. '1l"<.'a. i"lriLUliU.,I' to the
<br />CoJorRdo Ri\"t'r via lh,. (;r..en Ri\'<'r. Its
<br />hearlwaterdrainag"areai;Lound...lbl'lhr
<br />r:lkhrad.\lourllainsonthl'north.thc.l'ark
<br />I<anlt<' On the ('BSI. and hI. the WhilrRhw
<br />I'lah'ntt on th.. !\Iluthand ~.<'Sl The prinripal
<br />hearllt"at,'r tributari,'s of r<)rtifieation C....'l.k
<br />rise ,n the Elkhead Mounlain; norlh.
<br />north,'a.<t,'rl.l.ufCraig. Th"basin isbc.>un<ll'<l
<br />by Elkh..ad Crrt'k On lhe el<st; h Slater.
<br />Will.)w. ~'ourmile, anr! Timil<.'rJake Creeh
<br />
<br />(._1'-"'''1\< thaI now nnrth,.rJr (rom Colorado
<br />into \\\umingl on lh<' north an<l northw""t:
<br />and l>:. ('.'llar ;,lom'tain and Bix Gulch (an
<br />indi....'CllrihularylotheYampaRil."rJon thc
<br /><outh",,,,,!. Pine Ri<l~ rmd Cedar ~Iuunt.ain
<br />Gulches ri"e northl\'("lerl,. of Crail': and. in
<br />x<'nrral.arrb,mndedIJ1'(:edarMounlain{!n
<br />Ihcl'a_Iand b:. Sand SprirlKand Bil':Gulch<'S
<br />Onlhe"'f'~lan<lnnrthw<'Sl.lnformaliononlh<,
<br />tribulary drainaK<' area, of the stl'l'amsalld
<br />wal"'Tou'.>\<'Sun<ll'rstud}.i",howninTal1l('2,
<br />
<br />
<br />, N....." M....nl"'n :-;.,~.,. p 5. g"IMn,b.-, I~, 1971~_
<br />
<br />-.,.Cr>'..h>.-<to.en (,an,torM<1 l'mn.qui,'1
<br />"",..hi".....""mun'tj.lonb".U;n..boomlown.
<br />110. P....u'" of .",,~.,. <lovel"pm."~ Th.lHOQffi
<br />w.,n., brou..hl on b,'tho.l<<'p;"...."nt oil
<br />'"'.I..blt'hy""'I,s...ve'.'''''~-_lmin.......
<br />bein"o""n.an""rt;'.'l:.othe",a'O<'I'""d,nl:,
<br />Oil.Il<I........livih""h....i""....""'<!a"d(ho
<br />C"~I",,'"'.U'" H,"'lri< ""_"l;"" ;"h"ildin~
<br />"""0[(II.,"."'''I'''''''lO""I.fi'''<11'''''''
<br />",,"or.lio"=pl"'os';.m;los""":lIO[L'~'"_
<br />W""lc,'r'hw/t""I"<iloo.r<atoriIJ lO. "<.~
<br />plio, Mo"l" b",olthl (hO;' f.milin".ah(h<m,
<br />Ar.dlh<;nnuxh.,o"U"",J"''''''''<I''lI'''''''_lh'''
<br />",,...;~;r><tu.t'ie'"X"""'IL,",,<,'tO""'<'<I,or
<br />U...."'" """don"'_ Th'.I"p"I.,;"" .fCni~..
<br />..(;"'....1 lob. at .'''''l 8.0uO, n"rlj-doublo
<br />wh.I;' ~-...<;n 19;0. s,'wrall>l"M;nl:,tud,,,,,
<br />pr..<I,,, Ih.. p.'pulol~." wil[lop 12.000 in a fe~-
<br />~.........l
<br />
<br />2
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />TABLE 2
<br />
<br />TRJBUTAAY ORAINAGE AREAS
<br />
<br />St~amor
<br />Wate,course
<br />
<br />ApP'o~lmal"
<br />OralnalleArea
<br />Isq. mi,)
<br />2.130'
<br />2;,2
<br />
<br />Maximum Elevation
<br />or Watershed
<br />(fl., Nc.;VDJ
<br />12.1;00
<br />IO.&>O
<br />
<br />location
<br />
<br />Yampa Ri",'r
<br />Forli fica~ion
<br />C......k
<br />llrothei"lon
<br />Gulch
<br />Pine RidJ{"c
<br />Gulch
<br />C..dar ~'lnunlain
<br />(;u1<:h
<br />
<br />Iliver;,liIet41
<br />At mouth
<br />
<br />At muulh
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />7.500
<br />
<br />1'l<ll..l!ill:hway l:1i7R!1
<br />
<br />'"
<br />
<br />7,IlHI
<br />
<br />At mou~h
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />;.500
<br />
<br />I"<""''''~..,..',r'''''''''''.'''''''bl"",",<_
<br />
<br />Climate of th" Crail': an'" i" classified a,
<br />11 :l(h I~'nd Continental and is char<<et<'rized LI.
<br />Inw I'......:ip;lati<m. I"rlf'>' "ail~. I..mperalu~
<br />rl'~I~e, low hUmi<lil~.. fl'l'quent wind. and
<br />:lhundantsun,hinc. The pl'<"\'ailin"direelmn
<br />"fairmo'.emcnttulhcrel/:ion is from the wr$l,
<br />On arrival. air "'a,,,,,, from Ihe west aN'
<br />cumJ~lralivd).drrdlletol{)nl':ln\\'cl"l.erland
<br />a,,,II,,,,,, of '''oist"". "'.cr mountain ranK"",
<br />lIowe'.l'r.lheprimarysourceoofmoislurcare
<br />lh.. Pa"ifi.. O'.,'an anrllh.. Gulf of M,'x;('n,
<br />Generallr. air ma.'Sl',from tht'l'acifieOc'Can
<br />domirlalc from Orloh~r lhrouji(h Apr;] while
<br />'lirnms",'sfrmn the Gulf of;\!<'xi"o d"mina(('
<br />durin" late sl'rinK>summer, Telll!><,ratu'.,';n
<br />
<br />summ.'r in CraiK i, "ery mild. the rceonl hil(h
<br />11<'iol(" lOO~ TemlK'ralure maximums al>o\'~
<br />9;;" <>l'<:ur infre'lll"rlttr, Th,'low<>:;lol"'l'",'l,<1
<br />temprrature in Crail' wn.~ .4,," in Janlla..\"
<br />1%;1. .
<br />:>;ormal annual pr"",ipitati"" \'aric" wilh
<br />"k"al;onalld ranlf',',fromab<lut 14inehesat
<br />Craig 10 80 inchr~ {cstimate! at hiXh de\'i<'
<br />tioo" in thl' Park Ranlf". Mootnf the anoual
<br />I'reeipitali...ninhighcl""<lti,,,,a,.e",,,uceursa,
<br />snow from J),<cemb..-rtoApril:lnd.beA"inning
<br />in {),;Ioo..'r. a d..<.1' $rlowp"t"k a~""llmulal"".
<br />:"nowfatl in hilfha....aslllll)'lotalllslllut"has
<br />:~l frtl <illri,,>!" the ",i!](('r. 1'''010,"..11 hegil\~ in
<br />lal.. April and ,...ntinOl'" ",..II io(o .r""" or
<br />
<br />3
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