WSP05732

• File Number: 8507
• Description: Rio Grande Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Date: 8/1/1982
• Title: Sangre De Christo Wilderness Study Area Report - San Isabel & Rio Grande National Forests part 1
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

2. Physiography

The Sangre de Cristo WSA is composed of a rugged and
very steep physical environment. Elevations vary
from 14,345 feet at the crest of Blanca Peak to as
low as 8,200 feet along the boundary. The slopes are
extremely steep from the crest of the mountain range
to the floor of the Wet Mountain Valley and the San
Luis Valley. Deep narrow canyons extend from the
valleys back toward the crest. The western slope of
the WSA is less steep but also has deep narrow
drainages. As the slopes merge into the valley
bottoms they become less steep and more accessible.

The WSA contains five peaks exceeding 14,000 feet in
elevation including Blanca Peak, and a number of
others exceeding 13,000 feet.

3. Geology and Soils

The Sangre de Cristo WSA includes the central
portion of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains which
extend about 150 miles from the Arkansas River near
Salida, southward into New Mexico. The central
portion of this range is composed largely of red
late-Paleozoic sediments. These rocks are
intricately folded and faulted, but not
metamorphosed. They include sandstones, shale,
conglomerates, and fossil bearing limestones. The
northern end of the range is formed of precambrian
igneous and metamorphic rocks. Mount Blanca, at the
southern tip of the study area, consists of huge
blocks of precambrian granite which were pushed
upward and thrust westward to form a cluster of
peaks, several over 14,000 feet in elevation. Many
prominent rock glaciers are present in the Sangre de
Cristo Mountains. These are composed of fragments
of rock which creep almost imperceptibly down the
steep flanks of the high peaks. Significant geologic
hazards exist on the steeper slopes throughout most
the area. Only upon the more gentle slopes,
primarily along the lower perimeter of the study
area, do geologic hazards become moderate. Under
present conditions soil erosion and suspended
sediment production are wi thin acceptable limits.

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