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C~ <br />ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING <br />The survey area is on the lower south flank of Oak f4esa, overlooking <br />the North Fork Valley of the Gunnison River (figures ] - 4). The tract <br />has a southerly aspect and is characterized by pinyon and juniper <br />woodlands with some Gambels oak and sage. The study area is rugged <br />and extends from about 6,000 feet above sea level to 6,B00 feet above <br />sea level. The nearest available water is Steven's Gulch which extends <br />along the western edge of the survey area. ]n many spots, the slope <br />in this area was as much as 30 degrees or more which is significantly <br />greater than the 20 degree maximum upon which prehistoric archaeological <br />sites are normally found in this region (Grady 15__). <br />Fauna include a large variety of small mammals and gamebirds, as <br />well as deer noted during survey. The presence of gamebirds and deer <br />makes the area most useful for hunting, and cattle are also grazed in <br />the flatter western portions of the lease. Historically, there is no <br />indication the lease area was used for any other purposes. <br />The study area is adjacent to the West Elk Mountains, which are <br />westward continuations of the Sawatch Range, a series of layers of <br />Paleozoic sediments thrust westward over one another (Chronic and <br />• Chronic 1972:24). The study area itself is on Oak Mesa, part of the <br />larger Grand Mesa hogback, a flat volcanic uplift running northwest- <br />southeast along the t1lJ side of the (Jest Elks. Between these two major <br />formations runs the North fork of the Gunnison and its several tribu- <br />taries, including Stevens Gulch. The entire region is a part of the <br />Southern Rocky Mountain Physiographic Province. <br />While precise paleo-climatic data are lacking, climate was and is <br />typical of the Gunnison region mountain valleys in that winters are long <br />and harsh while the summer growing season is short for maize agricul- <br />ture. This would effectively limit subsistence strategies to hunting and <br />gathering. Precipitation averages 14" per year and is concentrated in <br />winter snowfall and late summer showers and thunderstorms. The average <br />annual temperature is 49of. <br />• <br />4 <br />