Bear Springs Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (CWMU) is cut east-west by Dry Creek and north-south by State Road 68. Dry Creek starts at about 7200 feet and flows east and then south and exits the Unit at about 4400 feet. The higher elevations are on the west below Snow Basin Ski Resort. Then with a moderate slope the terrian slopes to the southeast and drops down into the Dry Creek cut before
exiting the Unit. The most common elevation is 5800 feet but ranges from 5000 feet to 8500 feet with an elevation difference of 3500 feet. Fifty-two percent (52%) of the CWMU elevation ranges between 5700 feet and 7600 feet an elevation difference of 1900 feet.
Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland (41) is the dominant land cover type on the Bear Springs Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (CWMU). There are many large patches of Rocky Mountain Bigtooth Maple Ravine Woodland (23) dispersed among the Gambel Oak, as are smaller patches of Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe (62). There are patches of Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland (22) on the west side, more in the middle of the Unit are patches of Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Shrubland (79), and scattered about are patches of Recently Burned (116) areas. There are some minor areas of Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland (36) scattered about.
One of the Bear Springs Cooperative Wildlife Mangement Unit (CWMU) nearest weather stations, PINE VIEW DAM (422424), is about 3.6 km north from the north edge of the CWMU. PINE VIEW DAM has twenty-seven (72) years of records, 1935 - 2007. During the FALL (September, October and November) the average precipitation is 7.33 inches, but it can be as high as 16.43 inches or as low as 1.52 inches. During the 91-day FALL period, 22 days will experience greater than or equal to 0.01 inch of precipitation, 15 days of greater than or equal to 0.10 inch, or 2 days of the greater than or equal to 0.50 inch of precipitation. There is also 2 days with precipitation greater than or equal to 1.00 inch. Snowfall during the FALL averages 13.7 inches but can be as high as 49.5 inches. FALL temperature at PINE VIEW DAM averages 46.2 degrees F. but can be as high as 95.0 degrees F. or as low as -17.0 degrees F. During the FALL, 48 days will be below freezing (32 degrees F.) and 1 day above 90 degrees F.
