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- . . . 0650 13. North and Middle Forks form the Purgatoire River at their confluence, river mile 186. These streams have their sources in Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains, or more definitely Culebra Range, along the western boundary of the basin. From its source the Purgatoire River traverses the central portion of the upper basin in an easterly direction. 14. The conformation of the drainage basin has developed a stream pattern in which the tributary drainage areas are comparatively small, and the tributaries are relatively short. Numerous tributaries enter the river from the north and south, the more important ones from the north in downstream order are Wet, Zarcillo, Burro" and Reilly Canyon~, and Chicosa Creek; those from the south are South Fork, Lorencito, Long; and Raton CarJybns, and Frijole Creek. The upper basin and strealll pat- tern are shown on plate 1, appendix A. 15. Topography. - The drainage basin west of Trinidad, Colorado, is rugged and mountainous. The relief varies almost 9,000 feet in elevation from the source of Purgatoire River :to its -confluence with San Francisco Creek. On the western noundary along Culebra Range, Trinchera Peak exceeds 14,000 feet in elevation, while Purgatory and Culebra Peaks, the two next highest, are over 13,500 feet. The northern drainage div.lde descends about 7,500 feet in elevation, in a distance of about 30 miles, from Trinchera Peak to the foot of the front range near Ludlow, Colorado. The !;louthern watershed is roughly parallel to the Colorado-New Mexico State line from Sangre de Cristo Mountains easterly to Raton lf~sa, a distance of about 45 miles. The general elevations along this part of the divide are 13,000 feet at the western end, 8,000 feet in the vicinity of the headwaters of Lorencito and Long Canyons, and 9,500 feet on Raton Mesa in the headwaters of Raton Canyon, southwest of Trinidad, Colorado. East of Trinidad and north of the , .'.---;." 5