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<br />OfHG57 <br /> <br />About 17 percent of the Eastern Slope area is above 6,000 feet in <br />altitude and is princlp~ mounta.moua, about 45 percent ranges in <br />elevation from 5,000 to 6,000. feet and is hilly except for small <br />scattered tractll of farm land. The remaining 36 percent is below 5,000 <br />feet elevation and cODlltitutes the nearly level plains region which is <br /> <br />U8ed almost entirely for a.gricultural purposes. <br />The ITestsrn Slope diversion area tor the Initial Ilevelopllent is <br />entirely within the high mountain region and includes all of Pitkin <br />County drained by the Roaring Fork River. It contains 974 square <br />miles wi thin its 35-eile length and its 3o-m1le maximum widtboA mIlch <br />larger area on the Western Slope 1iOuld be affected directly and inlti.rectly <br /> <br />by the transmountain diversion and includes the productive agricultural <br /> <br />and mining districts within the drainage basin of the Roaring Forll: R1.ver and <br /> <br />the Colorado River below Qlemrood Springs. <br /> <br />The Initial Ilevelopment is primarily concerned with the Fryingpan <br />River, a tributary of the Roaring For~ River. both ot which rise on the <br />western s1de of the Continental Divide at altitudes upward of 14.000 feet. <br />The Roaring Fork River descellda to about 5,800 feet at Glemrood Spdngs <br />where it joins the Colorado River. Points on the Fryingpan River and <br />other tributaries of the Roaring Fork River from Which diversions are <br />contemplated are all above 9,000 feet altitude. The streams are typical <br />mountain torrents that hava cut through rough terrain to fom extremely <br />steep narrow CaoyODll. <br /> <br />Climate <br /> <br />Wide climatic variations exist between mountains and plains. The <br />mountainous regioDll on both sides of the Contirlental Divide are sub- <br />humid with extremely short growing seasons. Winters are severe and <br /> <br />u <br />