
LEG 
coincident with the one hundred and fifth meridian. Three-sevenths 
of the entire area lies east of that line, within the plains region, and is 
a high, rolling, semi-arid country, almost wholly devoid of timber, and 
insufficiently watered by the South Platte and Arkansas Rivers and 
their tributaries. At the base of the mountains it has an elevation of 
5,000 to 6,000 feet; thence sloping gradually to the eastern border, 
where the altitude is 1,000 to 1,500 feet less. The western and laren 
division of the State mcindest in its eastern part the Main Range, or 
Continental Divide, and almost numberless minor ranges, spurs, a 
groups. Between hese and the Utah line is a more open country, 
broken by extensive plateaus and mesas, detached. mountain groups, 
isolated peaks, hills, and buttes. Large rivers traverse the region, bor. 
dered in places by broad and fertile valleys, and at other points con-- 
fined within deep and narrow canyons. 
‘The parks of Colorado are a distinctive-and remarkable feature of 
the mountain region, apparently the basins of former lakes upheaved 
and deprived of their waters by volcanic agency, with their original 
shape and situation at the foot of high mountains undisturbed, while 
their lowest depths are from 6,000 to 9,000 feet above the level of the 
sea. Many of these parks are small, being little valleys at the sources - 
of single streams, or the beds of small lakes into which several streams 
from the surrounding mountains are emptied; yet there are four of 
these elevated valleys, the smallest of which extends 20 by 50 miles, 
and the largest 100 by 200, equal in size to some of the most important 
of the New England States. These are called the N orth Park, Middle 
Park, South Park, and San Luis Park.” 
In all these apaile are rich grazing lands, and in many of them are 
large and productive agricultural areas. | 
The principal rivers of the State are the Arkansas and South Platte 
on the eastern side, which find outlet through the Missouri and Missis- 
sippi to the Gulf of Mexico; the Yampah, White, Grand, Gunnison, 
and Rio Dolores upon the Pacific slope, tributary to the Colorado 
River of the West; and the Rio Grande, flowing southward to the Gulf 
of Mexico. All of these rivers have their sources in, and are depend- 
ent upon, the central snowy ranges. It is instructive to note the pre- 
ponderance of streams upon the western slope, where the forests are 
most dense, and where occurs the greatest precipitation of moisture. 
The forests of Colorado are situated mostly in the western mountain- 
ous divisions at the higher elevations. A tongue of timbered land in- 
vades the mid-eastern portion for a distance of about 30 miles along 
the crest of the Arkansas-Platte divide; and another tract of wooded 
country extends for a short distance into Las Animas County at the 
southeast. The heaviest forest growth is in the north central, central, 
and southwestern parts of the State. Some of the finest timber is 
found at the southwest, in La Plata and Archuleta Counties. Much of 
it grows on high, rollin plateaus; the trees are tall and straight ; but 



