Short draws occur throughout the upland, so that no part of the county is poorly drained, except some of the low bottom land along Lodgepole creek. The draws are dry throughout the year, except immediately after heavy rainstorms. Lodgepole creek has a small flow of water. It is a perennial stream, although for a few miles of its course in the eastern part of the county it disappears beneath the sand and gravel which fill its channel.

The region is practically treeless; in its natural state it supports a thick growth of grasses. The principal grasses are gramma grass and buffalo grass. The trees native to the region consist of scattered and stunted

pines on the rougher and more broken land, with some Cottonwood, box elder, ash, willow, and juniper along the creek.

Lodgepole creek affords a supply of water for irrigation and other purposes, and abundant water is obtained from shallow wells in the valley. On the upland plain water is obtained from wells 100 to 250 feet deep. The water is generally suitable for domestic use, and the quantity is ample for farm and ranch requirements.

Climate

The mean annual temperature is reported by the weather bureau station at Kimball as 47.5° F.

The mean annual rainfall is about 16 inches, but it varies widely from year to year.

The average date of the latest killing frost in the spring is May 16, and of the first in the fall, September 21, giving a normal growing season of 128 days. However, frosts frequently occur as late as June and as early as August. The earliest recorded date of killing frost in the fall is August 25, and the latest in the spring, June 5. The grazing season lasts ordinarily from the middle of May to the 1st of November, while some of the grasses cure into hay in a state of nature and furnish some sustenance for stock throughout the winter.