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I I. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I SECTION I GENERAL INFORMATION SITE The Town of Silt is located in Garfield County, Colorado, approximately 7 miles east of Rifle, Colorado and approximately 19 miles west of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, on U. S. Highway 6 and Interstate Highway 70. The average elevation within the Town limits is 5480 feet above mean sea level. The area encompassed . ...., by the town limits is 198 acres, mostly situated on a bench slightly above the geological floodplain of the Colorado River. The terrain within the town varies from generally level on the south side to a steeply rising bluff on the north side. The northern bluff rises over 100 feet to a mesa top known as Silt Mesa. The town is served by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and has excellent all-weather access via U. S. Highway 6 and Interstate Highway 70. CLIMATE The climate in Silt is similar to other mountainous areas in the Colorado Rockies, being continental in character, and is typified by wide seasonal and daily variations in temperature. Occasionally., temperature changes are sudden and extreme. Daily summer maximums are frequently above 900F with minimums near 500F. A 300 temperature range is common during the winter months. While the area is some- what protected from extreme major storms, it is subject to rapidly forming and rapidly moving thunder~torms during the summer months, which have high winds and yield intense precipitation for brief periods. The relative humidity is generally low throughout the year. Winds in nearby Grand Junction average 9 miles per hour, and have been recorded as high as 66 miles per hour. Winter temperatures are moderate, however lows of -300F have been recorded. Monthly distributions of temperature and precipltation in nearby Rifle are shown in ~~~e I-l The data for this figure was obtained from records of the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I-l