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<br />st:eep slopes. The headwater of t:he 5il.n Miguel River s'tarts from <br /> <br />the continental divide at, about 14,000 :=eet above mean sea level <br /> <br />and falls to about 8,700 feet at Telluride, 7,,600 feet a,t Saw pit <br /> <br />and 7,300 feet at Placerville. <br /> <br />The population in the study areas \vas e;;timated in 1976 to be <br /> <br />1,400 people at Telluride and 250 people at Placerville and Saw Pit. <br /> <br />The economy of these areas depended inij::ially on mininq and agri-- <br /> <br />cuI ture acti vi ties. The major change in the last six YE,ars has <br /> <br />been the development of the ski area residential subdivisions or <br /> <br />condominium developments which have accompanied the move to\'lard <br /> <br />a recreation based economy. <br /> <br />CLIMATOLOGY <br /> <br />The climate of the area is arid to semi''''arid except in t:he high <br /> <br />headwat:ers areas, where precipitation L:: moderately heavy. The <br /> <br />annual precipitation in the Telluride area is approximately 27 <br /> <br />inches, of which 10 inches is in the p,,;riod May through Sep.t:ember. <br /> <br />In the Placerville and Saw pit area, the annual precipitation is <br /> <br />approxima'tely 16 inches, of which 6 inches is observed in ,the period <br /> <br />May through September. .July to Sep'tember is t:he season for thunder- <br /> <br />storms, which develop over the moun'tain,'" The rainfall is seldom <br /> <br />heavy, but some storms have cloudburst cells with hi'Th intensity <br /> <br />rainfall of short duration. <br /> <br />The mean annual temperature in the study area is about 40 degrees. <br /> <br />In the summer, the mean monthly temperat.ure is the highest in July <br /> <br />at about 60 degrees. The mean mont.hly t.emperature in ,,7inter is t:he <br /> <br />lowest in January at about 20 degrees. <br /> <br />-2-- <br />