Laserfiche WebLink
<br />~. <br />'&...,,~. . <br />~~::;.. <br /> <br />G~JERAL DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />The southwestern quarter of Colorado is very appropriately <br /> <br />named the San Juan Basin for the dominating features Qf the regicn <br /> <br />are the mountains and the river bearing that name. To the east and <br /> <br />scutheast the mountains extend to the San Luis Valley and an outlier <br /> <br />runs south into New Mexico at a rapidly decreasing elevation. To <br /> <br />the northeast and north these mountains are more or less directly <br /> <br />joined to the main mass of the Recky Mountains, <br /> <br />Beyond the cover of the protecting lava flows which form <br /> <br />the tops of these mountains the country falls away rapidly to the <br /> <br />south and west across the borders of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah <br /> <br />where at an elevation of about 6,5.0.0 feet./i t becomes part of the <br /> <br />.~~ <br /> <br />general level of the Colorado Plateau. San Juan River is the prin- <br /> <br />cipal drainage channel, ~nd owing to the rapid descent from peaks <br /> <br />14,.0.0.0 feet high to the level of the Colorado Plateau, a system of <br /> <br />small straight rushing tributaries has developed. San Juan River <br /> <br />itself, rises at the southeast part of the mountains, well Within <br /> <br />the main mass and is joined from the east by several large creeks <br /> <br />which rise on the west slope of the range extending into New Mexico. <br /> <br />West of San Juan River, flowing out of the higher central <br /> <br />part of the mountain group are in order the tributary Piedra, Pine, <br /> <br />Animas, La Plata, and Mancos Rivers, the latter being the last of <br /> <br />the perennial stre~ms which rise on the west slope of the La Plata <br /> <br />mountains, an outlier at the southwestern extremity of the main <br /> <br />..... <br /> <br />group. Florida River rises between Pine and Animas Rivers and <br /> <br />I <br />