About 10 percent is cropland. Corn, feed grains, and hay for dairy cattle and other livestock are the principal crops. Orchards, vineyards, and truck crops are important on some of the more friable deep soils. Summer droughts and steep slopes are major land use problems. Valleys are narrow and have steep gradients, especially in the upper reaches.
Local relief is in meters to tens of meters.
Average annual precipitation - 1,025 to 1,225 mm. Maximum precipitation is in spring and early in summer, and the minimum is in midsummer. The moderate precipitation is adequate for crops and pasture. On most farms shallow wells or springs supply water for domestic needs and for livestock, but deep wells are required for large quantities. Water from deep wells is of good quality but is hard.