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<br />. <br />1 <br />I <br />I <br />I, <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />1 <br />. <br />I <br />I <br />1 <br />., <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />. <br /> <br />1857 <br /> <br />The remaining area on the two reservations consists of broad gently <br /> <br />sloping plateaus and mesas dissected by streams. Plateau and mesa <br /> <br />lands are typically gently sloping but some areas may be steep to very <br />steep. These steep soils are often associated with escarpment <br />areas. The alluvial fans and flood plains associated with the <br />streams form a system of level to nearly level benches generally <br /> <br />several hundred feet lower than the plateau and mesa lands. <br /> <br />2.3 GENERAL CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS <br /> <br />The climate of southwestern Colorado is characterized by large <br /> <br />variations often occurring in the same general area. The climatic <br />variation is a result of significant topographic differences as <br /> <br />generally cha~acterized by elevation, slope, and aspect. <br /> <br />The climate in the vicinity of the Ute Indian reservations is <br />characte~ized by warm summers and cold winters. Summertime mean <br /> <br />maximum temperatures range from about 80 to 95 degrees F, while <br /> <br />wintertime mean minimum temperatures range from nearly 0 to 20 <br /> <br />degrees F. The frost free season generally extends from late May to <br />near the end of September. The length of the frost free growing <br />season (32 degrees F base) ranges from less than 100 days at higher <br />elevations to more than 150 days at lower elevations. Precipitation <br />occurs during each month of the year with about 35 to 50 percent of <br />the total annual precipitation occurring during the 6 month period <br /> <br />2- 5 <br />