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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE <br />Section II —E <br />RANGE SITE DESCRIPTION <br />, COLORADO FIELD OFFICE <br />Site Name: Semidesert Loam #327 <br />Site Number: 034AY327CO <br />034BY327CO <br />MLRA: 34A 8 348 <br />Date Approved: December 1988 <br />A. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br />1. Physiographic Features <br />This site occurs on gently sloping hillsides, benches, <br />ridges, alluvial fans, and toeslopes. Slopes range from 1 <br />to 45'%. Elevations range from 5000 to 6500 feet. This site <br />occurs on all aspects and may be intermingled with adjacent <br />saltdesert range sites. <br />2. Climatic Features <br />a. The climate of this site is arid, with precipitation <br />averaging between 9 and 11 inches annually. About 70% <br />of this precipitation comes in the form of rain during <br />the spring, summer and fall. The average monthly <br />precipitation (in inches) is as follows: <br />JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC <br />0.6 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.6 1.3 1.5 1.1 0.7 0.8 <br />b. The growing season for the native plants averages about <br />145 days. This usually starts about mid April and goes <br />until September. Cool season grasses start spring <br />growth using moisture stored in the soil from snow melt <br />and spring rains. Optimum growth continues until the <br />soil profile is depleted of useable soil moisture, <br />usually April through mid June. A second growth period <br />generally occurs between August and October <br />corresponding with the peak precipitation period. <br />c. The average annual air temperature is about 46 °F. <br />Summer temperatures can reach over 95 ° F, and winter <br />temperatures can dip to well below 0 ° F. Temperatures <br />fall below the freezing mark much of the time in <br />November through March. The average frost —free period <br />occurs from late May through mid September, lasting <br />about 122 days. <br />