WSP07192 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

. . . 086"/ BJ,SALT PROJECT GENERAL DISCUSSIONS miles of its mouth end TholOpson Creek entering Crystal River about 6 miles above its Junction with Roaring Fork River. Streams and watersheds Cattle Creek and Landis Creek, which flow west.ard to Roaring Fork River, and Coulter and Nesa Creeks, that are tributary to Cattle Creek, provide the present irrigation supplies for the Cattle Creek area. These streams head near Cottonwood Pass on the southern slopes of a low divide between the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers. The runoff is relative~v light and occurs early in the season because of the low elevation and southern exposure of the watershed. Fryingpan River and Sopris Creek which enter the Roaring Fork River from opposite sides near Basalt now ~rovide water for lands in the Sopris area, while P~ince and Thonas Creeks which flow northwest to Crystal River serve the Carbondale area. F'rying:pan Hiver drains a portion of the west- ern slope of the Continental Divide. Sopris, Prince, and Thomas Creeks originate on the northern slopes of ~tt. Sopris. Climate The climate of the general region is semiarid and is generally sat- isfactory for diversified agriculture. The frost-free period at Glenwood Springs, the nearest climatological station, averages 142 days extending, on an average, from May 12 to October 2. The frost-free period in the project area which is at a higher elevation than GleDwood Sp~ings is estimated "t 128 days. Except for dryland wheat which is sometimes grown successfully on portions of the project area, crops c~~not be matured unless precipitation during the frost-free ?eriod, which averag~s__Qnly "l,uuL G.9lJ1ncnes, lS supplemented by irrigation. Summarized below are the me~~ precipitation fu,d temperature data collected at the Glenwood Springs station. 7