Centennial sits on the high tableland east of the Front Range, where the ground rolls gently toward Cherry Creek and the reservoir basin that anchors the north end of town. At 5,837 feet, yards here bake under thin, intense sunlight while only about 17 inches of moisture falls all year, and the heavy clay left behind by ancient plains deposits swells after storms and cracks open by August. Neighborhoods around Centennial Center Park, the Willow Creek and Foxridge areas, and the Smoky Hill corridor all fight the same battle, compacted subsoil that turns sprinkler runoff into sheet flow. Blended topsoil, screened compost, and locally quarried stone do the heavy lifting here, with mulch acting as the insulation that keeps root zones from cooking. Homes near Greenwood Village, Foxfield, and Parker face nearly identical conditions.