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<br />SET,LP.'E"~T
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<br />[J~CKr.P.OUND INFOFf''I\TI()N The Cache I~ Poudre River flows 121 tni les from the head"",ter~
<br />atanelevationofoverl2,ODOfeet,"eansea level (,".s.l.l.to Its mouth,
<br />at an elevation of ~bout 4600 fee1- m.s.l. I n the 14.R mi I e study reaCh
<br />the Cache la Pbudre River drODS a total of 97 feet. or 6.6 feet oer mile.
<br />In tho mountainous reache~ of the Cache la Poudre Piver the flood plain
<br />
<br />In 1870 ~athan ~ceker trcveled to Colorado from New York
<br />City, In s.earchof a iocation for his nlannedC"",,"unity. '.1eeke..-was
<br />tho c<1ricultural editor of lIorace Greeley's 11ew York Tribune. A
<br />
<br />isnarrowwlthorectwoodedaroas.lnthereaChunderstudytheflood
<br />plain is much wider than the ~untaln ..-eaches and trees and b..-ush arc
<br />found onlyadjacont to the River. Away f..-omtheChaMel well cevelope<J
<br />croplands characterize the flood olain in the studv reach. A b3sln mao
<br />Isshownonpllltol.
<br />
<br />location w~s selected ~ear the confluence 01 the C~che la Poudre and
<br />South Pla1-te '{Ivers. Development occurred near the Cacho III ~oudre
<br />River because crop irriolltionwas necessary to supolemont rainfall
<br />which w~s not sufficiAnt to Insure successful cultivated crons.
<br />
<br />It within the top ton areaS
<br />conditions have also nroved
<br />sto~k teedinq oporatlons.
<br />
<br />in the nation for aoricultural produc1-ion but
<br />very favorable for cattle ranchinqand livo-
<br />Lac" I industry I~cl udes "",at p"ckinn, suo,)r-
<br />
<br />The cl irnate in the study reach is chllracteri zed by w~rm SUmMer
<br />days witn an "vera"e dally maximu~ of 890 In July and an averaoe daily
<br />~Inimurn of 90 In January. The averaQe annual temcorature is 48.3 deGrees.
<br />Hu~ldity is low throuohout tho year. Precioitation In the study reach
<br /><'!veraqesll inchos oer year. with the oreatest af"Ount fallina betwean
<br />AorilandJuly. Average annual nrecTpitationintheheadwaters.)ra" is
<br />30 inches. Pt\otonrllphsonthefollowinoolloes illustrato:!cI1anneland
<br />floodplaincondition<;in1-ne<;tUdyre"Ch.
<br />
<br />Tne r,roelov ar03 has" his1-orV of continued qrowth due to a
<br />stronr:l economic ha~p. Not onl y h~s Its rich, Irri<'latod fa,.,., I"nd r, lac<XJ
<br />
<br />beet procn$sin'1, farm m_1Chinery, OhotOQraphic su"pl ies, clothinn, and
<br />robilehomes. Greelevnroyidesretailmarketsandorofc'sior>al sorvlces,
<br />i ncl ud in,! cO/TJf'X>rcTal ~nd f i ""nci'll. for a I~rqo "rea. T~e IIniv"rs ity 0'
<br />Northarn GOI"rrido "fld d ho-ye"r COf"'11unity collwle arc i"'~"rt3nt COl'1mu~ity
<br />~ss"t$.
<br />
<br />O['1ELOF<",'.JTS IN THE FLoro ~LAIN
<br />Throuo~ut ~uc~ of the studY area, t~e flood oT.ain at the
<br />Cacha la Poudre;swlttm"t urbdndavalo(lrnent. Adj",cp.ntto(:r""ley,
<br />nowever, the flood pl~ln i5 moderately developed, beinq occupied by
<br />farm~, p~sture, feed lot~, Qr~vel pits and co~rci~1 ~nd r~sid~ntial
<br />development. A larqe nu~ber of bui Idinqs are located in the flood ol..in
<br />on the northeast ~ice of (;reele'i. In .1dd it ion to the res iaont ia I a~d
<br />commerc ill I oevelopment in t~r> floo~ olain, rai Ironds, stllr", 11M Incal
<br />~O"~5 a~d r~b'ic ~tl'i1-;e5 ,,,",uld~.. 5'"1>1"c1- to 'I0C>~i~~. !~c"eas,,1
<br />industrial ~nd co~ereial ~crlvTty and a subsecuont Incre~5" in popula-
<br />tion is expected to occur in t~.. ~rea. 1'~I"s' reqUr~torv "'e~sOJreS lire
<br />Il:>rl iwl, furth"r d"velo~rnen~ of the 'Iood pllli" wi II resul t. hbTe
<br />reDrec.ent.. d. S. (";"n<:LJ~ Rurn"" finur~~ for '^'pld r:o<lntv an.1 nr~"Tey
<br />.hrOUQh 1970 and larlrne;-~el~ Reqion~1 Dlannl~a COmff,iS5ion ~roicction<;
<br />lor 191\0 ~~c I<lO~.
<br />
<br />THE ~TREA'~ MID ITS YALlEY
<br />
<br />The each" la "<lud~c QIV0r, WiTh a tota! dr",i "a"c ,1rt'C of ! ,8'10
<br />~<1UJre Mi I es, i~ " major tri butnrv of t~e South <>I"tte '<iver. Gealnn; nn
<br />at its he~dw".er<; i n rt'c~y I",,,nta in YJtion~ I "ark, the r"c~" I" "oudr"
<br />'Iivor dr" i ns "o,..1-I.,ns of Larimer and Wel d Counties. f low I~'l 'I r~t in a
<br />"ort" <lnu then ea5.",rlv airection ana ,ioin ino t~p Nonh "o~k Cnche la
<br />Pbu~re wh~re th~ riv~r leJV~5 the ~ountain5. At thTs aoint t~e CJche I~
<br />f'oudre Diver entr>rs the hi<1h "Iai~~ ~'~,'re 't fl('lW5 in iI 5{luthC,~~terlv
<br />~lrr<Ction +hroun~ r"rt r,,1 I ins "'"~ "r""lev t" its contluc"c.. '~i~h t'1(>
<br />Sou'n f'lo~'e 'Iivcr.
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