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0.....,...'-'0 · J:::VA... . III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT The two properties being considered under the trade proposal are owned by the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Mr. Edward Dean. All lands under consider- ation are located in southeastern Colorado, in Bent County. The legal descrip- tion for thw DOW Setchfied property is: portions of sections 22, 28, 29, 32, and 33, T. 26 S, R. 52 ,6th PM, and a portion of section 5, T. 27 S, R. 52W, 6th PM, (2,438.08 ac). The Dean property consists of three separate parcels (two south of Las Animas and one north). Their legal description is: por- tions of sections 27, 28, and 34 T. 23 S, R. 52 W, 6th PM, a portion of sec- tion 4, T. 24 S, R. 52 W, 6th PM (940 ac). In addition to the actual transfer of land ownership between the two parties, the trade agreement calls for a perpetual public hunting and fishing lease issued by Mr. Dean on the Setch- field land, and a 10 year public hunting agreement on 6,000 acres of his land north of Las Animas. The 20 acre parcel of land north of Las Animas, which Mr. Dean has agreed to deed to the DOW, currently has a rifle range on it. At the completion of the agreement, DOW plans are to upgrade the condition of the range and make it available to the general public for shooting activities, and Hunter Education classes. A. Physical Description 1. The north boundary lies approximately 25 miles south of the town of Las Animas, west of Colorado Highway 101. Half of the property con- sists of shortgrass prairie and reservoir bottomland, with the re- mainder sandstone cliffs and draws, which rise a hundred feet or more above the drainage bottom. The climate is semi-arid with an annual precipipation of 10 - 12 inches. The temperature ranges from a high of +115 degrees fahrenheit to -10 degrees fahrenheit. The only water sources on the property are the Muddy Creek and Johnny Creek drain- ages which course through the eastern half of the property. These water sources are intermittent streams which flow only during high precipitation periods. The Setchfield dam and reservoir (Muddy Creek Dam) still exists on the area, but during the flood of 1965 the dam was breeched and the reservoir lost. Because of unpredictable water flows in the drainage and the very high cost of repair to the old dam structure, the facili ty was never re built. Soils on the property were generally derived from sandstone, shale, and limestone, and con- sist of lime, clay, and silt loams. They are extremely subject to wind and water erosion if the vegetation is removed, but would be relatively productive if irrigation water were available. The eleva- tion of the area is approximately 4,000 to 4,100 feet above sea level. 2. Ed Dean Property The three parcels of land which make up this property are located north and south of Las Animas within a 5-mile radius. The majority of the area is, however, south of town, and west of Colorado Highway 101. The southern site is half riparian riverbottom land with the remainder being made up of low rolling sandy hills. The site to the north of town is; shortgrass prairie land. The climate in this area is considered semi-arid with an annual precipitation rate of 10 - 12 inches per year. Temperature ranges are similar to the Setchfield site ranging from +115 degrees to -10 degrees fahrenheit. Water