PROJC00189

• Contract/PO #: C150006
• Contractor Name: Palisade, Town of
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 72
• County: Mesa
• Bill Number: HB 95-1155
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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CHAPTER ill
GENERAL PROJECT INFORMATION

A.

DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA

1. Location and Setting

The study area as defined here is the geographic area to be served by the
proposed project. The study area for this project includes the Town of
Palisade, its rural service area. and the watershed which provides raw water
for the Town's water supply (Figure ill-I). Both the Town and its
watershed are located in Mesa County in west-central Colorado. Highway
6 & 24 passes through the Town, as does the Denver & Rio Grande
Railroad.

The topography and geology of the Palisade Study Area are influenced by
its location on the eastern edge of the physio-geographic province known as
the Colorado Plateau. Dominate land forms in the area are high mesas
divided by deep canyons and broad valleys. The watershed area is located
on the northwest slopes of Grand Mesa (the world's largest flat-topped
mountain), which rises to an elevation of 10,000 feet approximately 5 miles
southeast of the Town.

The Town of Palisade is located on the upper eastern end of the Grand
Valley, a broad alluvial plain created by the Colorado River at the point
where it leaves DeBeque Canyon. Most of the Grand Valley is irrigated
farm land which extends almost to the Utah border. Approximate elevation
of the Town is 4600 feet.

Most of the Colorado River valley in this area is underlain by a thick layer
of Mancos Shale. The Bookcliffs which rise to the south are topped by the
Mesa Verde formation. The Town's watershed area lies primarily on slopes
which have been eroded into the Wasatch formation and the Green River
formation. The upper part of the Grand Mesa is capped with a thick layer
of basalt.

2. Climate

The climate of the study area varies significantly between the Town of
Palisade in the Colorado River valley and its watershed area. Temperatures
in Palisade range from an average of 28.2" in January to an average of -
79.40 in July. Average precipitation is 9.1 inches. There are no climatic
records for the watershed area; however, temperatures are considerably

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