WSP05425

• File Number: 8101
• Description: Arkansas River Basin Description
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 9/1/1962
• Author: High Plains SCD
• Title: Watershed Work Plan - Limon Watershed Protection Project - Elbert and Lincoln Counties - Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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C~1746

- 6 -

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The main vegetation on the Clayey Plains site is western
Wheatgrass, alkali sacaton, and blue grama. Slopes range up to 9
percent. On the Loamy Plains site, the vegetative cover consists
primarily of blue grama, western wheatgrass, and perennial forbs.
]unegrass, cactus, sand dropseed, annual brame, and six weeks fescue
make up minor amounts of the plant cover. Slopes range up to 9
percent. Range plants on the Loamy Slopes site include western
wheatgrass, sideoats grama, and blue grama. Slopes are fram 5 to
15 percent. On the Breaks site, slopes are steep, ranging from 9
to 25 percent. Most of the Breaks site is shaly. A good plant cover
is present except >mere bare shale is exposed. The vegetation
consists mainly of sideoats qrama, western wheatgrass, needle and
thread grass, and green needlegrass, with some blue grama.

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Land Use,- The acreage and percentage distribution of land
use in the watershed is shown in the following table:

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Land Use

~

Percent

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Rangeland
State
Private
Total Rangeland

1,574
7,463
9,037

91.6

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Dry Cropland
Irrigated Cropland
Urban 11
Miscellaneous ~I

Tot al

50
86
480
217

0.5
0.9
4.8
--1...1
100.0

9,870

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11 Includes all lands within corporate limits of Limon north
of Rock Island Railroad.

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11 Includes all of watershed area south of Rock Island Railroad
except irrigated cropland.

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Climate.- The climate is semi-arid, The average annual
precipitation at Limon is 14.67 inches, of which 76 percent occurs
during the summer months. Torrential summer thunderstorms that occur
over small areas and have a short duration are typical of this area.
The average annual snowfall is about 25 inches,

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The recorded temperatures have ranged from a high of 104 degrees
to a low of minus 30 degrees, The mean daily temperature is 47.1
degrees. The average frost-free growing season is 140 days. The
annual evaporation averages 55 inches.

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