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<br />StudyUmits
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<br />LandU"e
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<br />Th.e Huny lr1clud",d all of the flood "hiM alon~ IIi" Sandy r.ree1<. ann
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<br />As the "tudy area indudes "nly th., To"'n of Limnn, the b,,<! "~,, Is
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<br />as tributaries ,..tthin the cor]Oorat~. U",ita of the Town of Limon. The UDDer
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<br />u,ban. A<e.~s alon>: the stream channels have heen left as open SMce. Th..
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<br />~tl.ldy lillllt on H>: Sa~<!y Creek IOns the lUbert-Unc"ln ('.nunty line. 'lhe
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<br />lQ80 popl.lhtion of Limon Was 1,80Q. 'lhis pooubtlon h"s r"",,,ln"<I con.tBnt
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<br />lo..er study 11mlt is the southern town boundary. This Includes 2.42 rnlles
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<br />since 1970. flo"e"er, pop',htio" projectio'ls indlc_"te mod..rate gro..th ",ill
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<br />of the EI>: ~a"dy Creek fl.wd plain. The upper _"tudy U1'Itt on each of the
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<br />occur In the future.
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<br />three tributari<l-s ..a. the outlet of the te'pectlve l"imoo W"tershed dam. The
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<br />Land US<l- tn the draina>:" ,He"-S ot SiR Sandy Creek and th~ Limn"
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<br />east to= ho<.mdary 11..e WaS the lower study limit. The three tdhllury
<br />flood plains totaled 4.27 ",iles tn length.
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<br />tributaries is predomtnately ra"geland interspersed with cropland. Cropt""d
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<br />ma1<.es up approximately 21 percent of the total area.
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<br />Study Reaches
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<br />Natural and B<l-neficial Flood Plain Value.
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<br />The study are" Was ~ivided into str<l-am re"en"s heeau.e of .i~nificant
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<br />The floodway.a",octAcedwttndams located north of UlIonand the '1ig
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<br />differences 1n flood plain topography, hydraulic characteristics, and
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<br />Sandy Creek comprise 6.7 miles of ve~etated wildlife habitat and op~n space
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<br />magnitude of di.charges.
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<br />of "aryin~ ..idtha. The flood..ays are >:eneraUy ve~et"ted ..ith " variety of
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<br />The "nelo~ed study area map (f1l[llre 1) ahows the location of each
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<br />forb.,gra..es, "edgO!s and r"she. In the hottolll..nd bordered by co tton"'o<.>d.,
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<br />reach. Reach distance" are a" fol1[l..~:
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<br />..,i110..9 /lnd .ibertan ellll. ~mall area" of canans and <".hea are "cattered
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<br />fU>acb.Numb"r
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<br />Lel\.~th-Mil<l-~
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<br />"long th~ H"odw"y~, ~nd ~re c"'1c<'''trat~d at the b'>Wcr cn~. W.Her flows tire
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<br />1
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<br />r;,n
<br />1.1;
<br />l,(ll
<br />1.32
<br />2.42
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<br />..~he~cral, ~th m!no~ tc~?Orar7 pond3 formed.
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<br />1
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<br />4
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<br />H1g ~andy Creek Is a large cphem~r"t strcam con~1~t1nr, of a ~and-gr""el
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<br />bottom. There is """quatichabitat. ThedoOltnantve9:<,_tattoncon.i.tsof
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<br />The "ad,,,," ~"hlbits Included tn this repon are related to the.e reach
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<br />cottonwood~ 1n an ~neven a~e stand. with undcrstory shrubs of ..1110.. and
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<br />to""dar1es.
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<br />"a,"arisk. Th~ un,I'Hatory ,..n'ltatn~ var10us forbs, grasses, .edj(ca ,,,.<! rushes
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<br />'Ihtcharequttelusb1nso"",srea8.
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<br />The Hood pla1n of ~1f': Sandy Creek is a~.tbettc"lly ple".inr, ~nd pr<>-
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<br />v1nes an oaSis-like contr""t to the surroundin~ rangeland and dry ctnpl"n~.
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<br />RMh r.he flond..oy~ ""d the flood plain provide diversity of '>abHat for
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<br />v,>rlous "tlrlllfe form", with th.. Big S..ndy', flnod pbln ~<>rvbr, a" tr.wd
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<br />1...,.,. for <i~,," ~1\d "ther "lid! I fe.
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