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2.0 LOCATION AND AREA ESTIMATES OF COLORADO PEATS <br />0 <br />2.1 Location of Colorado Peat Resources <br />In Colorado, the conditions needed for peatland formation <br />are restricted to the mountainous areas of the state. Hallock et <br />al. (1986), in their survey of willow- dominated carrs (shrub- <br />dominated peatlands) of Boulder County, found that carrs in the <br />subalpine life zone contained substantial accumulations of peat, <br />whereas those in either the montane or alpine zones were <br />predominantly located on mineral soils. In personal <br />conversations, Cooper has noted that the non - mountainous areas of <br />the state are not favorable to the development of peat and that <br />8000 feet might be a good approximation of their lower <br />elevational limit in the state. In this study, none of the <br />identified peatlands occurred below 8000 feet in elevation. <br />In Windell et al. (1986), peatlands are classified in the <br />category of "Communities with Seasonal or Permanent High Water <br />Tables, but Without Permanent Standing Water." This category <br />contains areas that are: 1) "spatially removed" from a stream, <br />but may still be influenced by it during periods of flooding, or <br />through mutual connections to the groundwater table; or, 2) <br />receive water from springs, seeps, and groundwater flows. All of <br />the sites identified in this study received their water primarily <br />from ground water flows or springs. Only occasionally do any of <br />the sites receive surface water, and this is always in the form <br />10 • <br />