346 REPORT UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



exposed location, presupposes severe winters, and makes it doubtful 

 whether cattle can winter there. 



The San Juan area presents very little good grazing land. Along 

 the south foot of the La Plata Mountains there is a narrow strip of fine 

 jiark-like country, with undulating broken surface, covered with bunch- 

 grass and groves of heavy timber. In the hills between the Eios Animas, 

 Pinos, and Piedra, this strip spreads out to a considerable width, and 

 becomes of considerable importance. Its elevation ranges from 7,000 

 to 9,000 feet, and from its sheltered position, would make a safe winter 

 range for stock. A similar belt of pasture-land exists at the foot of the 

 mountains on the upper waters of the San Juan, Rio l^avajo, and Eio 

 Blanco. Aside from these areas, the San Juan district presents only 

 very indifferent grazing laud. Mesa Verde, on which there is much 

 good grass, has practically no water on its surface. One small spring 

 only is reported to exist there. The Great Sage Plain contains a little 

 grass among the sage and piQon pine, but water is so extremely scarce 

 that this can never be utilized. A small portion of this must be excepted 

 from the general condemnation, that lying immediately southwest of the 

 group of mountains known as El Late, between the Mancos on the 

 south and the San Juan on the west. Here the grass is more abund- 

 ant than elsewhere on the Sage Plain, and the proximity to the San 

 Juan supplies that desideratum, water. 



Turning now to the middle portion of Grand Eiver, between Middle 

 Park and the mouth of the Gunnison, we find pasture-land of an in- 

 different quality, grading here and there into excellent grass land, on 

 the plateaus at the foot of the Park Eange, about the courses of the 

 Grand, Eagle, and the lower course of Eoariug Fork. The great valley 

 of the Grand, at the mouths of North Mam and Eifle Creeks, is very 

 poor in grass, and does not improve farther down, where it is narrowed 

 between the ISTorth Mara Plateau and the Eoan Cliffs. The broad valley 

 of Plateau Creek and the lower northern slopes of the Grand Mesa are 

 fair grazing land. • 



The drainage area of White Eiver contains less heavy timber and 

 more grazing land in proportion to its size than any other such area 

 west of the mountains. The high plateaus about its head, which reach 

 in many places to the timber-line, are mainly covered by heavy timber, 

 with some patches of grass of considerable extent. West of this the 

 part of the drainage basin on the south side of the river consists of an 

 inclined plateau, sloping gently to the river, and reaching a crest above 

 the desert valley of the Grand, before mentioned. This is the Eoan or 

 Book Plateau. Its surface is much cut up by caiions. Every stream 

 or dry wash flowing to the White carries itself, as soon as possible, far 

 below the surface. All over this surface grass is abundant, interspersed 

 with sage, piiions, and, near the crest, a little quaking aspen, spruce, 

 and pine. Water is scarce and not easy to reach. Douglass and Pi- 

 ceance Creeks are constant streams, but the others cannot be relied on. 

 On and near the crest springs of excellent water are found at intervals. 



Simpson's Park, in which the White Eiver agency is located, contains 

 a small area of fine meadow-land. All the hay for the use of the agency 

 is now cut there. 



North of this little valley the hills between the White and the Yampa, 

 known as the Danforth Hills, are covered with good pasturage on 

 both slopes. West of these hills the country between the White and 

 Yampa is a series of broken plateaus, almost waterless, and desert 5 in 

 some places there is a little grass among the sage but the country is 

 mainly covered with sage and piuon pine. 



