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<br />ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
<br />
<br />Th.. ~a<:"ranWnl" J)islri,.t Corp_ of r-;n;ri.
<br />'''''''', l'rilldully a~knmd~dj("s lh,. t'~'p.'ra.
<br />tion anol a-"jst'Ul.... of Ih(' ~loff"t ('..untl"
<br />l'Ia""in!' D"J"".tment-""IM.'<:iall." ~'l". .Jud.~'
<br />Sldll,. and Jame" ~:, /"lnkrmin. 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';"'1';"" Courier: Ms. i\lk(' Hub:n,on. C"'''I(
<br />
<br />('hamh.'r of (:Omm.'r..,,: .1nd nth"r.< who
<br />di.-.".tl,I'ur Jr,din...'tl)' ai,11'<1 in the pr,'paral;on
<br />of Ihi, ""I'ort. Th.. Stall' nf C<;llora,!o, Mc>ffat
<br />C'ltm:.,', and lh.. Ci1r ufCrai){cOOI!{'rati"..I.I'
<br />fund<,<1 pr"pl'''''lio" of th.. dttailed lUJ>.
<br />oll:raphie map" nl'('d.,,1 fur Ihi'f1uod h:t7.arrl
<br />information.<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 />scparaled bysrarpsand cuestas. The western
<br />end of Ihe Williams ~'ork Mwnlains. a
<br />norlhwesterly ..xtendinJl" spur of the Rock,l'
<br />MountainSystem.risestothesoUlhoflh~city,
<br />Real Sl'tllement did not occur in northwest.
<br />ern ('",Jorado until thenomadie Ulelndians
<br />were permanently reiocated to Utah in 1881.
<br />The first settler in the Craig area arri"ooin
<br />that rear and a wwnsitc was laid out in 18S8.
<br />Forth.fin;t2(}"30~'ears.th"eommunitywas
<br />an"lf"riclIltura!c"r.terlarxch'dependcntupoll
<br />th.. rattl.. rais;nR indu~lry. The town Was
<br />;ncnrpnrattd in 1~08 and b<><.:amc the count\'
<br />Sl>at when Moffat o.unty Wll$ crl'a~J bj' ~
<br />division of Rollt! County in 1911. Around
<br />19'20, sheep "'cre inlrocluced to the area and,
<br />followinl("aperioclO)fmnflietbelw~nshecp.
<br />mcnand cattl..men. wl'refirmlycstablished
<br />by the 1930's when the Taylor Gra..ing Act
<br />made mullipleuscofo;>l'nranll"eland pos:;ible,
<br />T<Xia)'. ooth ;ndustril'l:! rolllribute si~ifi.
<br />eantly 10 th.. ,'..onomy of thl' r<'Kion_ Oil
<br />production beeamc imll'Jrtant to Crail(" when
<br />the :'wloffal Ficld wasopenoo in 1924 and. as
<br />addilion:\Ifi..ldswl'""brou!l"htin.ardiMrv
<br />(now closed and sal\'al':edJ was built. CraiR
<br />was the 5upplycent<>r for the R.1ngcl;' ~'itld.
<br />wnirh was far fnlm markets and without
<br />IransP\lrtation,butnotintensclyde\"t'!oped
<br />
<br />untiIWorldWarll.Thcoilboomoflhel920's
<br />madc Craig the largeSlCOmmunity in north.
<br />"'<:>st Colorado and the dc"eJopment ofhl){h.
<br />wa)'lldurinl': this period put the town at the
<br />jnter<ectiono{t.....o majelrroulcs. This opened
<br />the "'a.... for lransportation and tourism as ncw
<br />industries. Due 10) favorabl.. conditions of
<br />transportation. Crai.':" is a centerofxilsonite
<br />proccS1linx for rail or truck shipment. For
<br />manYi'{'ars.cxtractionof('oa!from\'a.~tbeds
<br />undrrlyinK )loffat County hl<.< had xreat
<br />iml'al'tongro.....th anddc"c)oprn('ntin""rth_
<br />.....esl Colorado.l:raniumminingcontributed
<br />lotheeC{lnomydurinlttheI950's.
<br />In ){en..ral. Craig has experirncoo slo.....,
<br />stcady.principaIlYBRrkultur:dl)'b=dcco_
<br />nnrn;cxrowlh. In the last fe.....yl'ars,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 />Th~ Yaml'B Ril"'r, a we'l<'d." nO.....inx
<br />'lr<'am in lh.' stud.I' '1n'a. iSlribUliU',I' 10thI'
<br />CoJ"rRdo Ri\"t'r "ia thl' {;r..en Ri\'<'r. Its
<br />h('arlwater draina~" area i, boundl'll bl' the
<br />r:lkh('ad.\lourllainsonthl'north.thr'l'ark
<br />I<an!t<' on the l'BSI. and bl' the WhileRhw
<br />I'lah'ntt"n th.. !\Iluthand ~'<'Sl The prinripal
<br />hrarlwal..r tributari('~ of r<)rtifieation C....'l.k
<br />1'1", ,n the Elkhead Mounlain' north.
<br />northt'a.<t<'rl.\' ufCraig. Th" ba~in is Ixlumll'<l
<br />by Elkh..ad Cre~k On lhe e:,sl; h Slater.
<br />Will.)w. ~'ourmilc, anr! TirnlJ"rJake Creeh
<br />
<br />(._1'-"'''1\< thaI flow n"nh,'rJ,I" (rom Colorado
<br />into \\'rumjn~l on lh<' north an<l nortnw""t:
<br />and l>:. (',,<Iar :l-l"m'lain and Bix Gulch (an
<br />indil'<'Cllrihutary 10 th~ Yampa Ril'('r)On lh~
<br /><<.luth",,,,,!. Pine Ri<l~ rmd Cedar ~Iuunt.ain
<br />Gulches ri,e norlnl\'(',terl,' of Crail{ and. in
<br />f:<'nrral. ar~ hrmn<l~d 1J1' Cedar Mountain {In
<br />lhel'a_land b:. Sand SprirlKand Bill" Gulch<'S
<br />ontnewf'~tan<ln"rthw<'Sl.lnformaliononlh<,
<br />Iribulary drainaK<' area, of the ~Ireamsalld
<br />wal"'Tou,.>\t'Sun<ll'rsllul}'i"showninTalJl('2,
<br />
<br />
<br />, N....." M....nl"'n :-;,,~.,. p 5. g"IMn,b.-r I~, 1971~_
<br />
<br />-",C"""h>.-<bN-ntran'torM<llrmn.qui,'1
<br />"",..hi".....""mun'tj.lo.b".U;n..boomlown.
<br />110. p...-tu'" of '"r'~',. <lovel"pm."~ Th.lHOQffi
<br />"'.,n', brou..hl on b,'tho.l...p;"...."nt oil
<br />'"'.I..blt'hy""'I,s...ver.'''''~-_lmin......
<br />bein"o""n<dn""rt;'.'l:.othe",aroe'l'""d,nl:,
<br />Oil.Il<I........livih""h...oi""...""'<!andt...
<br />C'~I",,'"'.Ut.o H,"'lri< "'-'_"l;"" ;"h"ildin~
<br />"""0[11lo..."'..I..""'lO""I.fi"..-11."""
<br />",,"or.lio"=pl"'os';.m;los""":lI"[L'~'n_
<br />W"'lc,'r'hw/t",lI"<iloo.r<atoriIJ lO. ",.~
<br />plio, Mo"l" b",olthl tho;r f.milinwah(h<m,
<br />Ar.dlh.;nnuxh.,o"U"",J"'''''''''.I'<JI'''''''_lh'''
<br />"''''';~;ndu.trio,"x'''''''IL,",,<,'tO''"'<'<I,or
<br />U... nrl' """don"'_ Th"I"p"lo';"n .fCni~..
<br />..tim....1 to;'" at .'''''l 8.0"0, n"rlj-doublo
<br />whOl;' ~-"'<;n 19;0. s,'wrall>l"M;nl:,tud,,,,,
<br />prod,,, Ih.'l'<'pulol~." wil[l<Ip 12.000 in a fr~-
<br />~.........l
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<br />
<br />TABLE 2
<br />
<br />TR1BUTAAY ORAINAGE AREAS
<br />
<br />St~amor
<br />Watercourse
<br />
<br />Appro~lmal"
<br />OralnalleArea
<br />Isq. mi.)
<br />2.130'
<br />2;,2
<br />
<br />Ma~lmum Elevation
<br />or Watershed
<br />(ft.. Nc.;VDJ
<br />12.liO{)
<br />IO.&>O
<br />
<br />Location
<br />
<br />Yampa Ri",'r
<br />Forli fica~ion
<br />C"",'k
<br />llrothei"lon
<br />Guleh
<br />Pine RjdJ{"e
<br />G\1leh
<br />C..dar ~'lnunlain
<br />Cukh
<br />
<br />Iliver:l-IiIet41
<br />Almouth
<br />
<br />At muulh
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />7.500
<br />
<br />1'l<<t"l!ill:hway l:1i7R!1
<br />
<br />'"
<br />
<br />7,IlHI
<br />
<br />At mouth
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />i.lino
<br />
<br />l"<""''''~'.,..',r'''''''''''''''''''bl"'''''_
<br />
<br />Climate of th" Crail\" an'a i.< classified a~
<br />11 il(h I~'nd Continental and ischar<<et<'rizeJ bl'
<br />10'" 1'1'<'\:;p;lati,,". larj(C dail~' I..mperalu~
<br />ra~I~(', low hUmidil~'. frequent wind. and
<br />ahun<hntsun'hinc. The pre\'ailin"direclmn
<br />of air mo"ement tu tnl' rel/:ion is from th~ "'Csl,
<br />On arrival. air ma,,,,,, from Ihe wcsI aI'<'
<br />cumJ~lrati"c1)'drydllctolonl\"tn\\'cl,,\'erland
<br />a,,,II,,,,,, "f 'I\"ist"". """1' mountain ranK"",
<br />lIowe"l'r.lheprimarysourceoofmoisturcare
<br />th.. I'a"i{i.. O",'an and lh... Gulf of jI,l,'xi('n,
<br />Gcn('rally. air ma.,,;,,',from the l'acific Oc'Can
<br />dominall' from (klob~r lhrnul':h April while
<br />'lirnl;<~",'sfrmn the Gulf of;\!<'xi"o <!omina{('
<br />durin" late sl'rinK>summer, T~llI!,...ratu,'" in
<br />
<br />summ.'r in Crai~ i, "ery mild. the record hil{h
<br />Ill'inl< lOO~ Teml'l'ralure maximums "I>Ol'e
<br />9;;" <>l'<:ur infre'lllentl,1", Th..low<>:;lol"'l,,,......1
<br />temp~raturc in Crail' wn.~ .4,," ;n Janllar\"
<br />1%;1. .
<br />:>;ormal annual precipitatio" "ari,." with
<br />"k"ationalld ranj(,',fromahout 14 inches at
<br />Craig 10 80 inchc~ {l'stimate! at hiXh d..\'a-
<br />tion, in thl' Park Ranlf'-'. Mooto{theannual
<br />I'recipitali"n in high el",'<<!i,,,, a"e"",uc"ur~as
<br />snow from J),,,,emhcr to April a~d. beA"innj~A"
<br />in (ktoht'r. a d.,<,1' Sllowpat'k a~""llmlllal"".
<br />:"nowfatl in hill'h a""a~ Illll)' Iota! tu Illueh as
<br />:~l f('('l <illri,,>!, the wi!]{('r. 1'''owm..ll hegil\~ in
<br />lat.. April and ,.-.ntinuo'S ",..II io(o .r""" or
<br />
<br />3
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