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VEGETATION C> o C> The vegetation of the Greater Sagers Wash Watershed area can be divided into seven broad plant communities (See Figure A-5.0). Specific ecological site descriptions for each of the sites listed at the end of each community description are included in appendix A-3 and give a more complete discussion of vegetation associations, potential natural communities, and potential for treatments as well as recommendations for the types of treatments which are best for a particular ecological site, . ., V-' The basic communities may be described as follows: SALT DESERT SHRUB - This desert community is typically dominated by low, widely-spaced, more or less spiny, grayish, small-leaved shrubs, which cover only about 10 per cent of the ground area and is found on the more saline type soils in the watershed area. The community makes up 60 % of the area or approximately 91,549 acres and is generally found between an elevation of 4100 to 5500 feet. Precipitation ranges from 5 to 8 inches per year but during drought years may be as low as 2 inches per year, Forty to fIfty percent of the community is made up of varying degrees of shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), nuttall saltbush (Atriplex nuttallii), fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) and mat saltbush (Atriplex corrugata). Some of the grass species which may be found in this community are; indian rice grass (Orysopsis hymenoides), galleta (Hilaria jamesii), sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptantha), alkali sakaton (Sporobolus airoides) and bottlebrush squirrel tail (Sitanion histrix) also varying degrees of annual and perennial grasses and forbs may be found in associations of this community some of which are; buckwheat, globemallow, halogeton, cheat grass, six-weeks fescue, russian thistle, etc.. In the valley floors depending on the proximity of the water. table and in association with more alkaline soil conditions an association of this type dominated by black greasewood (Sarcobatus venniculatus) is found. The ecological sites found in this community are: AlkaIifan AlkaIi flat Desert cIa y Desert loam Semi-Desert very steep loam Semi-Desert sand Semi-Desert sandy loam Semi-Desert shallow loam Desert shallow clay Production on ecological sites in this community range from approximately 700 in favorable years to 200 pounds per acre in poor years with an average production of about 420 pounds per acre during nonnal rainfall years, Potential for establishing seedings within this community are very limited due to the low annual precipitation and salinity/alkalinity of the soils. Mechanical treatments to reduce 18