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<br />Table 11-1 is an ecosystems chart showing
<br />the dominant vegetation, habitat, mammals,
<br />and birds of the plains, foothills, and
<br />mountains. Endangered species of the area
<br />include the blackfooted ferret and the
<br />American peregrine falcon.
<br />
<br />HABITAT
<br />
<br />PLAINS
<br />Sanrllands Claylarnjs
<br />
<br />DOMINANT
<br />VEGETATION
<br />
<br />SandBlucgr8SS
<br />S"nuDrol'WOO
<br />Lit1le8lurSIl'!11
<br />Nce.;jl"""dthread
<br />
<br />81ueGrama
<br />BuffilloGr,.ss
<br />WflslemWhealgras,
<br />Dryl,,"d$t'dge
<br />
<br />Prickly Pear Cart",
<br />
<br />Coyote
<br />DesellCottontail
<br />Rock Mousc
<br />
<br />MAMMALS
<br />
<br />[lIRDS
<br />
<br />Clif1Swallow
<br />Golden Eayle
<br />Magpie
<br />MO\H"ingDove
<br />Rufous Sided Towllee
<br />Virginia'sWarbler
<br />
<br />fable-II-t
<br />
<br />FOOTHILLS
<br />
<br />WeSlemWheJlgrass Sudges
<br />LillleBluL'Slem Cinque/oil
<br />Needlm,m1tl'rea(1
<br />
<br />Blue Grama
<br />MouFltainMahogany
<br />PonderosaPine
<br />
<br />Badge'
<br />Coyote
<br />Ground squirrels
<br />NorthernPucket
<br />GOI')wr
<br />While-Tailed
<br />Jackr,lhlJil
<br />
<br />ROCKY MOUNTAIN
<br />Suo"lpine
<br />Awen Lodgepole Pin" SprlJceFil
<br />
<br />
<br />adjacent Rocky Mountains and to the influx
<br />of industry. On the other hand, the farm
<br />population is decreasing with people moving
<br />to the cities and communities in keeping with
<br />the national trend.
<br />
<br />/:.-CUSYSlnmr!lal'l
<br />
<br />Montane
<br />PonderosaPin" Qougbs-Fir
<br />
<br />Spike Fescue
<br />Cho~I'dWrry
<br />Serviceberry
<br />DougJasFir
<br />
<br />Albert's Squirrel
<br />Black Bear
<br />ColoradoChiflmun~
<br />Mule Deer
<br />Porcupine
<br />Red Squirrel
<br />
<br />Buteohawh
<br />Grent l-IornedOwl
<br />Horned lark
<br />Meadowlark.
<br />Nighthilwk
<br />Rock Wren
<br />Say's Phoebe
<br />Sparrow Hawk
<br />Ve>jlerSparrow
<br />
<br />Merriam's Turkey
<br />Pygmy Nuthatch
<br />Weste"'Bluebirtl
<br />Downy Woodpecker
<br />l-IairyWoodpccl",r
<br />Mountain Chickadee
<br />Reu-BreastedSapsucker
<br />Red-Shafted Flicker
<br />SleHer'sJay
<br />
<br />Generally speaking, the rocks of the area are
<br />pre-Cambrian granites to granodiorites and
<br />metamorphics and large batholithic masses
<br />and Tertiary quartz manzonites to diorites
<br />that occur in stocks, dykes, and sills injected
<br />into the pre-Cambrian rocks.
<br />
<br />Principal mineral resources include sand
<br />and gravel, fluorspar, limestone, sandstone,
<br />granite, quartz, mica, clays, peat, petroleum,
<br />coal, gold, gypsum, and natural gas.
<br />
<br />Population of the three-county area has
<br />increased considerably during recent years;
<br />Boulder County from 74,300 in 1960 to
<br />132,000 in 1970; Larimer County from
<br />53,300 in 1960 to 89,900 in 1970; and
<br />Weld County from 72,300 in 1960 to
<br />89,300 in 1970. Increases occurred
<br />primarily in the urban areas and suburban
<br />communities. They are due, in part, to the
<br />pleasing environment of the Front Range and
<br />
<br />Alpine Tundril
<br />
<br />Sedges
<br />Yarrow
<br />Pu,;Sytoes
<br />Dandelion
<br />Aspen
<br />
<br />June Grass
<br />King Fescue
<br />Sagebrush
<br />PyrOIa
<br />locoWeed
<br />Lupine
<br />Lodgepole Pine
<br />LimherPinf!
<br />
<br />ThurbcrFescue
<br />BeJrddWheatgrass
<br />Kinnikinrlik
<br />Red Rasphf>rry
<br />Carmd" Butfalo
<br />berry
<br />Vaccinium
<br />EngelrnaFlnSprucc
<br />Subalpine Fir
<br />
<br />TufteclHairgrass
<br />Snowball Saxi-
<br />frage
<br />Alpine Clover
<br />Alpine Forget-
<br />Me.Not
<br />
<br />Golden Sanner
<br />
<br />S.,dge
<br />
<br />Beaver
<br />'"
<br />
<br />Marten
<br />Red Squirrel
<br />Snowsl1o" Hare
<br />
<br />NorthemPocket
<br />Gopher
<br />Pika
<br />Yellow-Bellied
<br />Marmot
<br />!ilk
<br />
<br />Black Bear
<br />Porcupine
<br />Red Squirrel
<br />
<br />Blue Grouse
<br />Tree Swallow
<br />
<br />Blue Grouse
<br />Clark's Nutcf3cke'
<br />Gray-Headed Junco
<br />Pine Grosucak
<br />Steller'sJdY
<br />
<br />Brown.Cal-'p~d
<br />RvsyFinch
<br />Raven
<br />Water Pipit
<br />White-Tailed
<br />Ptarmigan
<br />
<br />Broad.Tdiled
<br />Hummingbird
<br />Goshawk
<br />Gray Jay
<br />HJiryWoodpecker
<br />Steller'sJay
<br />Westefl)WovdPewee
<br />YellOw-Bellied
<br />Sapsucker
<br />
<br />WhilC-CrownedSparrow
<br />
<br />WATER RESOURCES
<br />
<br />Runoff from melting snow makes up the
<br />primary native surface-water supply
<br />available for regulation and use within the
<br />study area. The native runoff originating
<br />above the foothills of the Front Range
<br />drainage basins during the 1950-to-1970
<br />period averaged 617,500 acre-feet per
<br />year. Approximately 76 percent of the
<br />runoff occurs in May, June, and July. The
<br />average annual flows of the streams,
<br />measured at Geological Survey gaging
<br />stations, I are listed in table 11-2 and their
<br />locations are shown on exhibit 11-2.
<br />
<br />I Streamflow reconls were obtained from Geological
<br />Survey puhlications ""'Vater Hesollrces Data for
<br />Colorado," Part I, Surface Water Hccords.
<br />
<br />11-3
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