1997 Results - Rangeland Utah

Rangeland in Utah is normally located in areas where affordable water is not available to support cropping. The most limiting factors in rangeland production are normally available water or suitable temperatures. For most areas, the active growth takes place in the spring when water is available and temperatures are warm enough. Natural precipitation levels range from about 6 or 8 inches per year in desert valleys to 35 or 40 inches in the higher elevations of mountainous areas. Another restriction to rangeland production is temperature. All though it is not as limiting as water. Utah's mean annual temperatures range from about 35 degrees F. in northern valleys to 60 degrees F. in southern valleys. The frost-free season ranges from 45 days or so in the high mountains and northern valleys to over 200 in the central and southern valleys.

Production on rangeland is highly variable. Maximum ranges are 1800 to 3000 pounds per acre in the warm, moist areas all around the state. Normally these are the warmer mountain slopes and wet basins. The other end of the scale ranges from 75 to 150 pounds per acre. These are very dry desert sites or shallow rocky slopes. 

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