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<br />cr:, <br />00 <br />~ <br />-t <br /> <br />CHAPTER I <br /> <br />GENERAL INFORMATION <br /> <br />Management near the confluence of Tomichi Creek and its Needle Creek trib- <br />utary. In the entire Upper Gunnison Valley approximately 80 percent of <br />the land is held in Federal ownership. The remaining 20 percent is held <br />in private ownerships. <br /> <br />The irrigated lands are devoted almost entirely to meadow hay or <br />pasture production. Surrounding lands generally are covered with sage- <br />brush. At higher elevations timber stands of conifers and aspens predom- <br />inate, particularly on the north- and east-facing slopes. Alpine meadows <br />and sagebrush flats are also typical of the high elevations. Most of the <br />public lands where topographic conditions permit are utilized as grazing <br />areas for livestock and big game animals. Farms include from 150 to more <br />than 2,000 acres of arable land. <br /> <br />Climate <br /> <br />The climate in the study area is semiarid to semihumid with precipi- <br />tation ranging from 11 to 26 inches annually depending on the elevation. <br />Summers are short and cool and the winters long and cold. Freezing tem- <br />peratures may occur in any month of the year and days above 900 F. are <br />very infrequent. The prevailing wind is from the southwest. <br /> <br />A summary below of climatological data at four weather stations in <br />the area indicates the general weather conditions. <br /> <br />Clima.tological data summary (lg48-6g) <br />Weather station <br /> <br /> Taylor <br /> Crested Cochetopa Park <br /> Butte Gunnison Creek Reservoir <br />Elevation (feet) 8,855 7,664 8,000 9,206 <br />Annual precipitation (inches) 26 11 11 16 <br />Temperatures (0 F.) <br />January average 13 10 11 9 <br />July average 58 62 61 56 <br />Yearly average 36 38 37 33 <br />Extremes <br />High 90 96 92 84 <br />Low -43 -41 -39 -60 <br /> <br />Local Economy <br /> <br />Agricul ture is the basic industry in the area with development con- <br />sisting mostly of large cattle ranching enterprises. Feeder calves or <br />grass fat steers sold in the fall of the year are the main source of <br />income. Most of the full-time ranches include an irrigated base ranch, <br />dry grazil~ areas, and permits for public grazing on lands administered <br /> <br />6 <br />