Colorado Desert Lands?? High Desert terrain?? (Pueblo, Grand Junction: college, camper, living)

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Idunn

The most desolate place that comes to mind in Colorado is the far southwestern corner, as one approaches Four Corners.

Lots of dirt, little vegetation in evidence. Extremes of hot and cold, with some snow in winter.

I dunno about that. There's next to nothing between Craig and Vernal, UT (120 miles). Plus nearly all of Moffat County (4750 square miles) is desert, and the only appreciable population center is Craig.

[CO.Native.SW]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

I dunno about that. There's next to nothing between Craig and Vernal, UT (120 miles). Plus nearly all of Moffat County (4750 square miles) is desert, and the only appreciable population center is Craig.

Agreed. I think the largest amount of connected desert land in CO is on the roan plateau. North of GJ, Fruita, Palisade, and west of the routt natl. forest and arapahoe natl. forest areas, and south of wyoming, and east of utah, is a large area of desert land. The second largest area of desert in CO is probably the San Luis Valley, which is about 30ish miles east to west and over 125 miles north to south.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by SoButCounty

Just about anywhere from just south of Durango thru Ignacio down into New Mexico could be considered high desert. Mostly scrub, yucca, some cactus. I own land on the Florida Mesa and it's nearly all scrub as the non-irrigated areas on the mesa seem to be. Altitude there is 6'686'.

From my understanding a desert is an area with less than 10" of annual rainfall. I don't believe anywhere in La Plata County experiences anything less than 12" averaged over a few years. Here's a precip. map of CO that someone posted on here a few years back:

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/pcpn/co.gif

Not much of San Juan County, NM formally counts as desert either according to these maps.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

From my understanding a desert is an area with less than 10" of annual rainfall. I don't believe anywhere in La Plata County experiences anything less than 12" averaged over a few years. Here's a precip. map of CO that someone posted on here a few years back:

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/pcpn/co.gif

Not much of San Juan County, NM formally counts as desert either according to these maps.

Actually, the definition of desert more accepted by climatologists is an area where annual evapotranspiration of moisture exceeds annual precipitation. Under that definition there are many areas of Colorado that qualify as desert, including a fair chunk of southwestern Colorado.

[CO.Native.SW]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

From my understanding a desert is an area with less than 10" of annual rainfall. I don't believe anywhere in La Plata County experiences anything less than 12" averaged over a few years. Here's a precip. map of CO that someone posted on here a few years back:

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/pcpn/co.gif

Not much of San Juan County, NM formally counts as desert either according to these maps.

Its any areas that are 10 inches or less rain per year, or an area where water evaporates at a high enough rate, which is stated above me. Therefore, all 6 of the areas in CO that i mentioned classify as desert. For example, water evaporates at such a high rate, the 12 inches of rain in Pueblo is considered a desert. Look at Tucson. Tucson averages 12 inches of rain per year, but the water evaporation rate qualifies it as a desert.

All of the areas i listed in northwest, west, southwest, and southern CO classify as desert areas/lands.

[CO.Native.SW]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Actually, the definition of desert more accepted by climatologists is an area where annual evapotranspiration of moisture exceeds annual precipitation. Under that definition there are many areas of Colorado that qualify as desert, including a fair chunk of southwestern Colorado.

Agreed. I nice size portion of CO is filled with desert lands. All the areas i listed in the very first posting qualify as desert. They do so either by having 10 inches of rain per year or less, or have 11-12-13 inches of rain, but have such a high evaporation rate which exceeds anual rainfall, that they are considered desert lands.

Its not just the rainfall in my opinion which makes something a desert. For example, look at Montrose. Montrose and Gunnson only receive about 8 inches of rain per year, but i would not call Montrose or Gunnison part of the western CO desert areas. The only area around there that looks desert is the Blue Mesa Reservoir sort of. So, those 6 areas in the original posting classify the colorado desert lands in my opinion and most climatologists opinions.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by CO.Native.SW

Its any areas that are 10 inches or less rain per year, or an area where water evaporates at a high enough rate, which is stated above me. Therefore, all 6 of the areas in CO that i mentioned classify as desert. For example, water evaporates at such a high rate, the 12 inches of rain in Pueblo is considered a desert. Look at Tucson. Tucson averages 12 inches of rain per year, but the water evaporation rate qualifies it as a desert.

All of the areas i listed in northwest, west, southwest, and southern CO classify as desert areas/lands.

Perhaps splitting hairs on the evaporation factor versus precipitation but I've just never heard that area South of Durango referred to as desert before. It's pretty dry but it's no Mojave. Most of it gets 15"-20" and I'd have to question whether the evaporation factor offsets that sufficiently. I'd be surprised if it's officially considered desert by professional geographers. Probably only SW Montezuma County rates that. Perhaps someone can supply a reference or link to such an official classification.

[CO.Native.SW]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Perhaps splitting hairs on the evaporation factor versus precipitation but I've just never heard that area South of Durango referred to as desert before. It's pretty dry but it's no Mojave. Most of it gets 15"-20" and I'd have to question whether the evaporation factor offsets that sufficiently. I'd be surprised if it's officially considered desert by professional geographers. Probably only SW Montezuma County rates that. Perhaps someone can supply a reference or link to such an official classification.

Well maybe ignacio is desert, but im not sure. I never said south of durango is desert in SW colorado. Cortez and Dove Creek and those areas to the four corners definitely are, and so are the other areas i mentioned in the first posting. You can also look at the terrain and see that.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Perhaps splitting hairs on the evaporation factor versus precipitation but I've just never heard that area South of Durango referred to as desert before. It's pretty dry but it's no Mojave. Most of it gets 15"-20" and I'd have to question whether the evaporation factor offsets that sufficiently. I'd be surprised if it's officially considered desert by professional geographers. Probably only SW Montezuma County rates that. Perhaps someone can supply a reference or link to such an official classification.

A great reference source is "A Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide: The Southern Rockies" by Audrey DeLella Benedict. Though out of print, it is widely available on used book websites. The descriptions of the various landscape patterns and environments in the book are very accurate and informative. Of particular interest in this discussion is the description of "Piñon-Juniper" woodlands (commonly referred to as "P-J" by foresters and range managers), which cover large portions of the lower elevation areas of western and southern Colorado, including much of the area around Durango. The description of the physical environment of the P-J woodlands is quoted below:

Piñon-Juniper woodlands occupy sites characterized by intense sunlight, hot summers, relatively low precipitation, high evapotranspiration, and strong winds. . . Annual precipitation ranges between 12 and 18 inches. Soil moisture recharge takes place primarily in the spring, when the snow melts. Summer precipitation occurs in cloudbursts, which result in a high percentage of runoff. Drought is common, and potential evaporation exceeds precipitation.

Pretty much a classic description of a desert environment

[CO.Native.SW]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

A great reference source is "A Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide: The Southern Rockies" by Audrey DeLella Benedict. Though out of print, it is widely available on used book websites. The descriptions of the various landscape patterns and environments in the book are very accurate and informative. Of particular interest in this discussion is the description of "Piñon-Juniper" woodlands (commonly referred to as "P-J" by foresters and range managers), which cover large portions of the lower elevation areas of western and southern Colorado, including much of the area around Durango. The description of the physical environment of the P-J woodlands is quoted below:



Pretty much a classic description of a desert environment

I guess i would use that definition, although i think the terrain of the area has to have some sort of desert outlook. For example, i would not consider La Junta, Rocky Ford, Las Animas in southeastern Colorado part of the CO desert lands. I would not really consider Gunnison and Montrose part of CO desert lands, even though they receive only 8 or 9 inches of rain per year. They dont have a desert look really. However, that definition works perfect for the areas in northwest, west, southwest, and southern CO that i listed on my first posting and provided pictures of the terrain in those areas.