The Pueblo is located in the Pojoaque/Española Basin, a broad structural depression associated with the Rio Grande Rift.  The Basin is bound on the east by the Sangre de Cristo uplift and on the west by faults associated with the Rift buried by the Jemez Mountain volcanics.  This basin has been filled by coalescing alluvial fans, which have deposited as much as 4,000 feet of sand, silt, gravel and clay derived primarily from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  The average frost-free season is about 140 to 170 days/year with average annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 12 inches/year.  Temperatures in the area can range from 10° F in the winter months to a high of 100° F during the growing season. A six mile stretch of the Tesuque River traverses thorough the Pueblo from the southeastern corner to northwest.  This river is of great cultural significance to the Tribe.   Along with the Rio Tesuque the Rios En Medio and Chupadero also traverse the Vigil and Aspen Ranch land grants owned by the Pueblo.  The People of Tesuque coexist with the natural world on over 17,000 acres of primarily undeveloped pinon/juniper, mixed conifer and riparian forests.  These diverse habitats provide resources for many culturally significant biota.   The various species of animals and insects found within the Reservation indicate that the overall habitat is still relatively healthy and capable of supporting/sustaining a diverse variety of life.  The proposed project area is rich in invertebrates, ungulates such as deer and elk, coyotes, cougars, bobcat, and numerous constituents of the genus Rodentia.  A survey conducted several years ago by a community member found over 82 species of birds utilizing the area primarily along the river.  The Rio Tesuque is used by neo-tropical migratory birds for nesting during spring and summer while the upper elevation avifauna utilizes the riparian habitat during winter months.  Other year-round residents include jays, ravens, owls and several types of hawks.