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5 r <br />3".YNf . <br />>~ <br />."G --. <br />t' "ter ~TIISDA,_ Boil Conservation Service <br />~-- :.- _ <br />~ J - Section II-E <br />- UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />" .:,.ry~~ t ,~~ „ -, SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE <br />.•F; .. COLORADO FIELD OFFICE <br />- :r ~:-...` .. <br />.; ~ _ Sandy Plains /l26 <br />. -- -- _ -.. ..__.. <=:-c.-; , ECO - SITE DESCRIPTION <br />t.` .~,,~_..~ >. _ August 1983 <br />_ ~ - 4 . <br />A. PHYSICALyCHARACTERISTICS <br />- 1., Physiographic Features <br />f ~~ <br />. ~r <br />..~This,.si,te is on level to gently rolling uplands with slopes ranging <br />= from 0 to 9~percent with a few slopes reaching 19 percent. <br />Elevations range from 3,400 to 6,500 (1,03b to 1,981 meters). <br />-: s <br />2:. ,Climatic Features <br />a. The climate is semi-arid with precipitation fluctuating widely <br />.__year..to year but averaging 10 to 13 inches (25 to 33 centi- <br />~.meters},_ Total yearly snowfall is 12 to 44 inches (30 to 112 <br />,.centimeters). The average monthly precipitation is as follows: <br />~... . <br />:.Jan _Feb~ March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec <br />- ~-' -:36.,..37;,_ .70 _ ..1.24 1.82 1.36 1.92 1.72 .93 .78 .52 .34 <br />b.,,,,The.mean~,growing season averages approximately 150 to 175 days <br />' fiom;Apr11.25 to October 10, and, in average years, there is <br />1`sufficien[ moisture at the beginning of the growing season to <br />.initiate growth in such cool-season grasses as thickspike <br />wfieatgras§ and Indian ricegrass. Their optimum growth is early <br />-- - - April through July. The warm season grasses have their optimum <br />growing season through June and August, if adequate moisture is <br />LL-. - "" availabYe. About 75 percent of the 11 inches (28 cm) of annual <br />- - -• ;-- pr"ecipitation falls in the form of rain during the frostfree <br />--; -- _--- .-_ _ season. About 55 percent of the annual precipitation benefits <br />cool-season plants, 70 percent benefits warm season plants and <br />the rest falls during the season of plant dormancy. There are <br />-'-~ -`- - -.J} 27 days per year that the precipitation equals or exceeds .1 <br />_ .. __ -__,- _. inches (.04.cm), 6 days that meets, equals or exceeds .5 inches <br />._F (•20 cm), and 2 daps that equal or exceed 1.0 inches (2.54 cm). <br />-, "~ c =Theaveiage-annual temperature is 53°F (12°C) with 71 days <br />--__- _ higher than_90'F (32°C) and 155 days"lower than 32°F (0°C). <br />.- Temperatures fall below the freezing mark much of the time in <br />--- - --- --- Decembei through February. Dates of the last killing frost may <br />~.~~ ~ .;, vary`fro`mVApril 24-30, and the first killing frost from October <br />,~1 5 to October 17. <br />.~~~ <br />