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<br />. <br /> <br />d. Transportation facilities. <br /> <br />(1) HighV&,yS . Three interstate highways, seven U. S. highways, <br />and thirty-six State highways traverse the South Platte River basin. <br />Traffic densities on the interstate routes range from 12,000 to 50,600 <br />vehicles daily. <br /> <br />(2) Railroads. The basin is served b.r six railroads. The <br />Union Pacific; Chicago, Burlington and QUincy; Chicago, Rock Island <br />and Pacific Railroads traverse the basin along east-west routes. The <br />Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe; Denver, Rio Grande and Western; and the <br />Colorado and SOl1thern Railroads cross the basin along north-south <br />routes. All of the railroad routes converge on Denver, Colorado. <br /> <br />e. Tourism. Colorado's high mountains and incomparable scenic <br />beauties, vast forests, numerOus fishing and boating waters, and <br />winter sport areas make the state a year-around vacation land for <br />millions of visitors annuaJ.ly. In 1964 more than 6 million visitors <br />spent an estimated $505 million in the State of Colorado. The number <br />of visitors of all vacation categories increased about 30 percent from <br />1960 to 1964 and their spending increased about 29 percent. Tourism <br />is ranked f~h of five major industries considered to be basic or <br />growth-producing in Colorado's economy. <br /> <br />12. CLIMATE <br /> <br />The climate of the basin varies with its physiographic features <br />of mountains, foothills, and plains. Generally, the mountain regions <br />have the most rigorous climate and the greatest annual precipitation - <br />except for the areas surrounded b.r high mountains. The mountain region <br />preCipitation - near the Continental Divide - exceeds 50 inches <br />annUally. The foothills region has a climate more moderate than either <br />the mountain or plains regions. Precipitation in the foothills region <br />averages between 15 and 20 inches annually. The climate of the plains <br />region is characterized b.r cold winters, hot summers, light rainfall, <br />low hUmidity and considerable wind. Tne average annual precipitation <br />in the plains region is about 15 inches, with variations of from 12 <br />to 19 inches. The most pronounced climatic characteristic of the <br />basin is the periodic storm activity which historically has produced <br />high intensity rainfall, with rainfall depths within a few hours <br />frequently equivalent to a major portion of the average annual <br />rainfall. <br /> <br />13 . FLOOD CHARACTERISTICS <br /> <br />The flood characteristics of the basin also vary with the <br />physiographic features of the regions. In the mountain regions, <br />floods result from rapid snowmelt or sudden intense rainfall. The <br />rainstorm floods are characterized b.r rapid concentrations of runoff <br />which result in sudden rises in stream stages, and produce the high <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />7 <br />