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The Sacramento fen is located six miles west of Fairplay, CO <br />on Park county road 14. The entire fen covers approximately 10 <br />acres (Figure ?). The site is situated on a long bench of <br />glacial till material along the north side of Sacramento Gulch at <br />an elevation of 11,200 feet. Peat thickness averages five feet <br />and appears to contain a large number of glacial erratics <br />(boulders) and alluvial material. Although excavations at this <br />site were completed several years ago, reclamation efforts are <br />still underway. <br />The vegetation is composed of a willow- reed -sedge community <br />wherein the willows are restricted to the drier lateral fringes <br />and some raised hummocks. Reed and sedge species occupy the <br />moister areas between the two parallel sides of the site. The fen <br />is separated from the adjacent Sacramento Creek channel by a <br />small ridge and strip of spruce -fir forest. <br />In 1986 less than half of the area was excavated by Don Gerd <br />Trucking. The method used was typical and employed a dragline, <br />bulldozer, conveyor, and forty -yard dump truck. Attempts to <br />ensure revegetation of the area included surface smoothing, <br />grading of cut banks, planting willow sprigs, and seeding with a <br />commercial grass mixture as recommended by the SCS. The pH and <br />conductivity of water in the undisturbed areas averaged 7.2 and <br />190, respectively. <br />Presently, the area of the fen which was affected peat <br />extraction remains un- reclaimed despite the efforts and good <br />intentions of the operator. More than 90% of the excavated area <br />Appendix B (v) <br />