Colorado Eastern Plains
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The Eastern Plains of Colorado refers to region of the U.S. state of Colorado on the east side of the Rocky Mountains, and east of the population centers of the Front Range.
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[edit] Geography
The Eastern Plains are part of the High Plains, which are the westernmost portion of the Great Plains region. The region is mostly characterized by rolling plains, divided by the shallow South Platte River and Arkansas River valleys. The Eastern Plains rise from 3,500 feet at the eastern border of Colorado, to 6,000 feet east of the Denver Basin.[1] The Eastern Plains have a semi-arid climate, like all of the High Plains, but receive lower rainfall than areas to the south and east.
[edit] History
The Eastern Colorado plains are among the most sparsely populated areas in the continental United States. Most of the region, with the exception of comparatively urban areas like Fort Morgan, are experiencing depopulation, which in some areas began with the influenza pandemic of 1918 and agricultural price collapses after World War I.[2] The Dust Bowl devastated the region and further accelerated this outmigration. Kiowa County demonstrates the poulation decline and its associated effects.
Both the Pawnee National Grasslands and Comanche National Grasslands are located in the Eastern Plains; they are composed of marginal farmlands which were withdrawn from agriculture and consolidated under federal control beginning during the Dust Bowl.[3]
Most of the Eastern Plains region lies within Colorado's 4th congressional district.
Even though Colorado is considered a quintessential Western state, this region is sometimes considered the Midwest.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Eastern Plains (HTML). Colorado State University. Retrieved on December 5, 2007.
- ^ Pawnee National Grassland History (HTML). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (March 24, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
- ^ Chronological History of National Grasslands (PDF). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
