GAK-VETT.] GRAZING AREAS. 345 



The San Luis Yalley is at a much lower level. From a height of about 

 8,000 feet at its head it slopes very gradually to an elevation of 7,500 

 feet at the south boundary of the State. The latitude also is less, and 

 the climate much milder than in the other parks, so that wintering stock 

 out of doors is attended with no risks. 



On the other hand, the grazing is poor. In the northern part of the 

 valley, the part known as Homan's Park, the chief product of the soil 

 is bunch-grass. Proceeding southward, this changes to grama grass 

 and sage, the latter product making the greater part of the exchange. 

 Near the south boundary of the State grass becomes very scarce, and 

 sage proportionately abundant. The whole area of what may be called 

 pasture-land is 2,700 square miles. There are fine grazing areas of 

 limited extent in the valleys of several of the streams which flow into 

 San Luis Yalley, among which may be mentioned that of Sawatch Creek 

 and Antelope Park, on the Rio Grande. 



Wet Mountain Valley and the Huerfano Park contain very consider- 

 able areas of grass laud, and make excellent ranges for stock, summer 

 and winter. 



The valleys of the Upper Arkansas contain some second-rate pasture- 

 land. The upper valley is too cold for stock to winter out of doors. 

 The climate of the lower valley, though the two differ but little in alti- 

 tude, is much milder, and stock do well there, summer and winter. 



An excellent summer range, and one, as yet, almost untouched, is found 

 on the plateaus and in the valleys on both sides of the Gunnison, from 

 Cimarron Creek up to the mouth of the Tomichi, and the valleys of 

 the Gunnison River, Tomichi and Ohio Creeks, and East River, with the 

 hills bordering their valleys. In this area the grass is luxuriant and 

 abundant and water is plentiful. The surface is broken and uneven, and 

 covered with scattered groves of timber affording protection against 

 storms. The lower valleys of this area are undoubtedly a safe winter 

 range. The height above sea ranges from 7,500 to 10,000 feet. 



The Uncompahgre Valley i^of little value for grazing. Except in the 

 river bottoms, grass is very scarce. In the southern part of the valley, 

 in and about what is known as Uncompahgre Park, there are a few 

 square miles of excellent pasture. A narrow strip along the western 

 edge of the valley also contains some grass. The lower part of this 

 valley, known as the Gunnison and Grand River ValleyvS, shows a gra- 

 dation from bad to worse. There is little grass in either part, arid that 

 little is so scattered that the cattle would grow poor in searching for it. 



West of the Uncompahgre Valley, and separating it from the San 

 Miguel and Dolores Rivers, is a high inclined plateau, sloping eastward 

 toward the Uncompahgre. That portion of this plateau lying near its 

 crest contains much fine grazing land, interspersed with groves of quak- 

 ing aspen timber. From the elevation, cattle could not winter there. 



The plateaus farther west, on the drainage of the San Miguel and Dolo- 

 res, contain little land suitable for grazing; sage and piiion pine being the 

 principal productions and water being extremely scarce. Exception to 

 this must be made in favor of the country for 20 miles north and west 

 of the San Juan Mountains. As far from the mountains as the supply 

 of water in the small streams extends the grass is good, interspersed 

 with groves of timber. Saucer and Gypsum Valleys contain some grama 

 grass with white sage, and might do for a winter range for stock. 



The Dolores Plateau, in the elbow-like bend of the Rio Dolores, con- 

 tains quite a large area of fine pasture-land, interspersed with patches 

 of heavy timber. The elevation, 8,000 to 9,000 feet, together with its 



