Wetland Profile for the Saguache Subbasin

  • The wetland profile below describes general geography of the Saguache Subbasin, the extent of wetland mapping, and the acreage of various wetland classes mapped by National Wetland Inventory.
  • To view this area in the Colorado Wetlands Inventory Mapping Tool, Click Here

  • River Basin Geography

  • Total Area: 859,078 acres (3,477 square kilometers)
  • Elevation Range
    • Max: 4,238 meters
    • Min: 2,296 meters
    • Average: 2,763 meters
  • Ecoregions
    • 21: Southern Rockies: 68%
      • 21a: Alpine Zone: 2%
      • 21d: Foothill Shrublands: 20%
      • 21g: Volcanic Subalpine Forests: 27%
      • 21h: Volcanic Mid-Elevation Forests: 16%
      • 21j: Grassland Parks: 3%
    • 22: Arizona/New Mexico Plate: 32%
      • 22a: San Luis Shrublands and Hills: 10%
      • 22b: San Luis Alluvial Flats and Wetlands: 4%
      • 22c: Salt Flats: 18%
  • Land Ownership
    • Total Federal Land: 67%
      • Bureau of Land Management: 19%
      • Bureau of Reclamation: < 1%
      • Fish and Wildlife Service: < 1%
      • Total U.S. Forest Service Lands 47%
        • Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests: < 1%
        • Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands: < 1%
        • Rio Grande National Forest: 47%
    • Total State Lands 6%
      • Colorado Division of Wildlife: < 1%
      • Colorado State Land Board: 6%
    • City, County, and Other Local Government Lands: None
    • Land Trusts and Non-Governmental Organizations: < 1%
    • Tribal Lands: None
    • Private Lands: 27%

  • Wetland Extent and Classification

  • Extent of basin mapped by wetland/riparian mapping projects
    • Digital NWI Mapping: 100% of unit
    • CPW Riparian Mapping: 60% of unit
    • Potential Fen Mapping: None of unit
  • Total area of NWI mapped wetlands: 79,630 acres
  • Percentage of basin mapped as NWI wetland: 9%
  • Wetland area by NWI System and Class
    • Palustrine Emergent: 75,796 acres
    • Palustrine Scrub-Shrub: 2,781 acres
    • Palustrine Forested: 18 acres
    • Palustrine Aquatic Bed: 206 acres
    • Palustrine Unconsolodated Shore/Bottom: 445 acres
    • All Lacustrine: 374 acres
    • All Riverine: 10 acres
  • Extent of wetland acres with NWI special modifiers
    • Percent excavated: < 1%
    • Percent dammed: < 1%
    • Percent ditched/drained: None
    • Percent farmed: None
    • Percent modified by beaver: < 1%
  • Wetland landscape integrity
    • Percent of unit in No Discernable Stress: 9%
    • Percent of basin in Low Stress: 44%
    • Percent of basin in Moderate Stress: 16%
    • Percent of basin in High Stress: 10%
    • Percent of basin in Severe Stress: 20%
  • Disclaimer: Basin, subbasin, and county wetland profiles are calculated for the area mapped by National Wetland Inventory (NWI). All percentages and acreage estimates are only for the area mapped. If the entire area of interest is mapped by NWI, these estimates reflect the entire area of interest. If only a portion is mapped, these estimates do not reflect the entire area. For more information about NWI’s Cowardin classification system, click here. For information about NWI mapping standards, click here.