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(exposure to sunlight). The Craig azea is in the rain/snow shadow of mountain ranges to the west <br />and south and consequently has a high number of dry, cleaz days. <br />Local Climate <br />The climate of the Craig, Colorado area is chazacteristic of semi-arid steppe regions. The <br />average annual precipitation for the town of Craig, 5 miles north of TrappE~r, is 13.5 inches of <br />which over one-third is snowfall (averaging 66.5 inches/yeaz). Trapper Mine's average annual <br />precipitation is 16.7 inches. The mean annual temperature in Craig is 43 °I', with recorded <br />extremes of- 45°F and +100°F. Winds aze predominantly from the west, but are locally <br />modified by topographic features. The growing season for the area azound Craig averages 77 <br />days. <br />Sotl Twes <br />Three soil orders aze found in the permit azea: Aridisols, Entisols, and Mollisols. These soil <br />orders aze chazacteristic of fairly steep, semi-and regions of northwestern Colorado. They <br />represent soils that grade from recently developed soil bodies with minimum horizon <br />development (Entisols) to older soils with well-defined diagnostic horizons (Mollisols). <br />Soil Chazacteristics and Distribution <br />Overall, the soils found in the proposed permit azea aze relatively deep and fairly well-drained. <br />Effective rooting depth vanes from two to sixty inches within the azea. T7te deepest soils <br />yielding the greatest rooting depths occur in valleys and on the leeward shies of ridges. Soil <br />reaction is slightly acid to moderately alkaline over the permit azea with the exception of <br />inclusions of small scattered aeeas with saline substrata. These small azea> have probably formed <br />in place from weathered sodic shales. <br />Control of Vegetation Distribution by Climate and Soils <br />Vegetation in the azea grows lazgely in response to macro-climatic influences of the region. The <br />north-facing slopes, having moderate to deep soils, a relatively mesic moisture regime, and <br />favorable levels of insolation throughout the yeaz aze characterized by well-developed mountain <br />shrub communities. On the colluvial toe-slopes, communities dominated by sagebrush and some <br />grasses occur. On the south-facing slopes behind the ridgeline of the Williams Fork mountains, <br />vegetative communities are not as well-developed in terms of cover, density, and production due <br />to the less favorable soils, moisture regime, and increased solar insolation. The trend in these <br />areas is toward communities dominated by juniper, pinyon, mountain mahogany and xerophytes. <br />trapper Mine 10 May 1;, 1999 <br />