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<br />.v~, (I.2"i.l{ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Cr1l.RE1.IT SITtlATInN <br /> <br />Elk-Yarnl)a Plannin~ llnit <br /> <br />Location <br /> <br />The tlni t is located east of Stea81Joat Sprinr,s, Colorado in Routt ann <br />Grand Counties. I.t contains ap;Jroxirnately 2%, loa acrea of I'lhich <br />16,1,)!) acres are in private o\.mers!lip. The Unit is bounded hy the elk <br />River to the north and Lynx Pass to the south. <br /> <br />TopogranhY <br /> <br />Elevation ran?es fron f>,761'1 feet on the [II; River, six niles north of <br />$teamboat Springs to 12,1P'O feet at tIt. Zirkel on the Continental nivide. <br />Average elevation is arounc1 ~,nn!) feet. Topogra~hy is variable. r~lch <br />of the Unit is gently rolling except for ~ajor stream draina~es ann the <br />,"estern edl~e I'Ihere land drops into the Ya!'1pa Valley. The northern half <br />beyond [luffalo Pass is l1uch nore rugr:ec! than the southern portion.. <br /> <br />Geolop,y <br /> <br />The P~rk Range and northern Gore Range forn the east boundary. These <br />ranges were thrust upward during the Laramirle Oro~eny which occurred in <br />a post Cretaceous Period about 100 million years ago. Glaciation and <br />other forns of erosion have re!'\oved the sedimentary layers over most of <br />the area leaving the Precambrian "basement" from which the present <br />landfo~s have develo~ed. <br /> <br />Climate <br /> <br />This western Slope of the north-south oriented Park Range receives very <br />high amounts of annual precipitation when compared to other areas of <br />Colorado at similar elevations. Average annual precipitation ranges <br />from about 21 inches at Steamboat 8prin<>,s to an estil~atec'. '\0 inches <br />above 12,000 feet in the lIt. Zirkel lIilcl.erness. lIost of the yearly <br />precipitation falls as snow durin[~ the nonths of necember thrOugh April. <br /> <br />llinters in the area are Ion? and severe. In addition to high snowfall <br />amounts, occasional cold spells bring night-time temperatures of from <br />_200 F. to _~Oo F. (and below) in the Yarnpa Valley near Steanboat Sorings. <br /> <br />Short duration, heavy snOl.,falls are usually follOlled by several clear, <br />sunny days. Sudden, severe blizzards accompanied by high winds that <br />attest to the passage of a low pressure systen are cornraratively rare. /lost <br />such low pressure systens pass to the norch, through southern lJyoming, <br />where the mountain ran~es are not as formidable. <br /> <br />1 <br />