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<br />ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO
<br />'hr~11 .Y is drained Ile Ihr tioul6 Platir Ricer :uul
<br />S tal'll'R. DlOSt. Of LIIC rnuut\• is rharactcrized b,}•
<br />ruadlY rnllin~ t.nprrhrnphy, curl the major st.rrnms hcn-
<br />crall)' arc iu rrlnticrly e ide valleys. In the westa•n pact
<br />of Ihr. cotwF.y, the l:u•gcr sl.rennl vnlle\'s are from 250
<br />n :500 feet bclmv the. ~,rucrnl level of tltc nearby np-
<br />all(I5, allll tIIC Slrlr. SlOpl'S al'r. 111Od Cl'atel}' steep. 'hh1'OIIF~11
<br />nosL n[ the remainin;-+ p:u't of the county, thv, loc;tl relief
<br />seldom exccrrls 200 feel, and iu Many places the sirlc
<br />stapes me sa ~,rndanl that, t.bc limits of the rallrys arc
<br />srarcr•ly noticrnblr. Sevcnd relntivrly large arras of
<br />sLlhilizrd rhnu•. tupn~n~alrhy :nr. in t.hr rmull,y, mainly in
<br />a broad urea north of S;md Carl: and alone t.hr callr•ys
<br />of Iicnc~ I11,1w, mul t.hr Bns 7:Idcr, ICiowa, and Itijou
<br />Crrr•Ics.
<br />'I'hr Fu•nls iu Arlams (",onut.y arr slo~eh• bring crntsoli-
<br />datrd into Inr~cr, more 1•fliricnt units, utilir.iug the latest.
<br />Irrhuning}' available. \Yhm'c uudcl,i;rmuxl n'ntrr rc-
<br />sourcrs suppnrl. it, sprinlacr irrirntiml ml khr. sandy soils
<br />is iucrrnsiug rnpidly. 'I'hr ranching oprl:•itinns rrnmiu
<br />nhmlt the same. but fnrmin>; is rlinnnishiu~ I,~pidly in
<br />Ihr. n'cstrru part. nF the lmlul\' because. of t.hr, industrial
<br />and rnuuunnilr dmrlopuu•nl.
<br />Prndurtiou of earn, alfalfa, nnrl smsll ,rrl'n111S is rs-
<br />prrird to remain fairly stable. 'Cbc sll'~nI' lle'1't IIId IISt.I')'
<br />IS slnaiy drerrasnlg. 'I'rnrlc crop farming is drrrrllsing
<br />and hrromiu_r crrv sprriolirrd. (;If.t.k frrrlluls and ho'~
<br />raising arr. dcrrrasim, nod c•crutually will br rlimiuatr~l
<br />in Iha western p:nt. nl' the. ruunt,y brc;ulso of roniug
<br />nrdinnucrs. nrn;nucntnl slu•cinlty reaps, greenhouses,
<br />and farms arr iucrrnsinsr rapidly and arc rsprctrd
<br />In I~nr to do so fur surnc knur. to rnnlc. Pmllt.r}'
<br />inisn „ Is dnminah+d b\• I;u~;m ronuucrcinl rntrrpriscs and
<br />lihrly will runt inue•. fo im erase.
<br />6!) ~;~
<br />1'be supply o[ watv.r for 1'armin~, especially iu the
<br />~rrslcrn fourth of Lhc count.)', is being compclcel for by
<br />the uu;tropoliL:ul nod suburban nrcas,.anrl a shortage of
<br />water is lil:cly to Irccomc acute in the coming years.
<br />Climate'
<br />'1'hr climate of Adltms Counl.y is that of the. semiarid
<br />high plains. It is ntodificrl by the Pocky Dountains to
<br />the west and the 6i~her connh•y of t.be Blacl: horest
<br />area to t.hc south. The efl'ccts of the mountains vary
<br />cnnsirlcrably with iucrcnsing rllSt:t11CC front the tvcstcru
<br />rnrl of the county Coward tho cast. The county, i2 miles
<br />long and 18 miles wide, ranges in elevation from 5,510
<br />feet at the southwest corner to 4,500 feet at Lhc north-
<br />east rorner, and is within a plains climate that. changes
<br />rapidly to a taothills climate; just. Test n[ the cuunl;y.
<br />1•Tauy frattu•rs of t.hr, climate at ])curer, which is
<br />rr,presnutativc of the extrculr. western Hurl soul.hwrstcrn
<br />part of Arl:uns County, can he applied reith saute modi-
<br />lirttion to the entire cmmty. Varmt.lous in cliw;dc from
<br />the western border enstwarrl include increased acernge
<br />windspcrd Lecausr, n[ the reduced rlfecliveuess of moun-
<br />tain shirlrliug, slightly towel' :L000agO ;l ll ll llal pl'CIIIpIt;L-
<br />tion, lower amounts of precipitat.iml ;uul suurvi;tll in
<br />tvinG:r ;old early iu spring, incrrmsed amounts :uul vari-
<br />ability of sunuucr precipitation, greater average varin-
<br />Lion in daily and annnnl Lcmpcral.urrs, and suuuxvhat
<br />lower cloudiness and higher pm'vrutngr. of sunshine. on
<br />:ut annnnl Itvcrnge. '1'ablc ~ gives clinmtic dnl:t crnupilcd
<br />from rrrords I:ept. nmiul}' at Byres, -\rapahoe. County,
<br />"]Sv :Inshru \1'. Brarm', cliwatningist fur Colorado, National
<br />\\'cathm• Scrcicc, U.R. I)cparGacnt n[ Couuucrce.
<br />'fnnLr•. D.-'femglernArre and in•ecipitretiat date,
<br />1Daln for lenlpernUve vid prccipilaLion from Byers, Arapahoe Cowlty. llatn on snow cover from Stapleton Airfield at 1)envnrl
<br />Tcmpernturc
<br />Month Avcral;c Average
<br />4aily daily
<br />ru aXilullln minim llnl
<br />2 vrnrs in 10 will Lave. at
<br />Icast 4 days with-
<br /> °F °
<br />JnnnarV_______________ as
<br />FcbnlnrY_-..____---__.-- afi
<br />Dlarch_________________ 5_'
<br />Apnl______'__________ 02
<br />
<br />hwc... _'_________ _____ 84
<br />July---____-- !II
<br />AugusL_________ __ ___ 80
<br />Fplnmbcr_____________ 80
<br />Oclcber_ _ - V!1
<br />Nnm•wbcr _____________ 54
<br />Uccclnbcr__ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 41i
<br />Y ^er______________ GO
<br />.5 than UIIb ICIIf II:1\'.
<br />' Average annual bighcv6 Icm pcraturc.
<br />' Avcragc loa~cst annual lcugwralurc.
<br /> Avcrat;r.
<br />Aaaxinuuu I1liniw uw t,~Lal
<br />tewprraturc temperature
<br />equal to nr equal Ln nr
<br />liehrr than- lower Lluan- ~
<br />
<br />Precipitation
<br />'S venrs in 10 will
<br />havc-
<br />Less AUrro
<br />Lhau- th:ul-
<br /> ° F. ° 14 Inrhn lncAa /ncht.~
<br />l4 01 -G 0.43 O.l 0.8
<br />18 G•1 -2 .47 .2 .7
<br />2:3 70 4 . 87 . 4 1. G
<br />a:S 7l1 10 I. Sfr . 7 ^. 8
<br />4z sc sz z.sa 0 s.7
<br />Sl OG 40 L:iB .7 2. 1i
<br />Si OD .50 '!. 01 1.0 S. 'S
<br />:.c os •ID 1. an 7 z. I
<br />
<br />3G 8:S 35 .73 . l 1.5
<br />'l:4 71 7 .:r4 '-' . !1
<br />IS li•i 3 . •10 . 1 . G
<br />35 °lUl '-14 14.05 !1.°_ 18.a
<br />Aecrngc Avcragr.
<br />number depth
<br />of days of snow
<br />with sunw ou dayv
<br />mvcr with snow
<br /> cover
<br /> O¢Ata
<br />g 2
<br />0 3
<br />7 3
<br />:4 4
<br />t a
<br />o D
<br />0 0
<br />0
<br />(1) 4
<br />l 2
<br />;, 3
<br />7 3
<br />4I 3
<br />i
<br />D'
<br />J'
<br />._
<br />
<br />
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