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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br />species interrupted by dry shrubland ridges, poorly drained wetland areas in <br />the low spots, and riparian habitat along streams, drains, and canals. <br />Crops include irrigated grassland pastures (45 percent), alfalfa (42 percent), <br />small grains, corn, fruit orchards, and potatoes(CH2M Hill 1983). Farm <br />operations repeatedly disturb the ground cover throughout the year in the <br />irrigated cropland by plowing, mowing, combining, or spraying. The fields are <br />usually left devoid of protective cover for wildlife after harvest. <br /> <br />The dry shrubland ridges support a plant community of big sagebrush (Artemesia <br />tridentata), rabbitbrush (Chrvsothamnus nauseosus), antelope bitterbrush <br />(Purshia tridentata), cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), wheatgrass (AqrODVrOn <br />dQ.), Indian ricegrass (OrvzoDsis aSDerifolia), pinyon (Pinus eduliis) and <br />Junipers (JuniDerus osteosDerma and J. scoDulorum). The shrubland plant <br />community is maintained only by the annual precipitation. <br /> <br />The wetland (palustrine emergent wetland) vegetation includes cattail (lYQhg <br />latifolia), hardstem bulrush (Scirpus acutus), alkali bulrush (ScirDus <br />pall idus), rushes (Juncus dQ.) and sedges (Carex dQ.), saltgrass <Distichl is <br />dQ.) and various combinations of plants which collectively are known as wet <br />meadows. Open standing water may also be found in this vegetative community. <br /> <br />Riparian (palustrine forested and/or palustrine scrub-shrub) habitats are also <br />wetland systems that are found bordering streams, ponds, drains and canals. <br />Riparian habitats may be dominated by overstories of cottonwoods (PoDulus <br />dQ.), willows (Salix dQ.), Russian olive (Elaeaqnus anqustifolia), tamarisk <br />(Tamarix qallica), or black greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus). The <br />understory includes various forbs and grasses. <br /> <br />CH2M Hill, a consulting firm working for the Bureau of Reclamation, made a <br />wetland survey in a previous study using the infrared aerial photos technique <br />(CH~M Hill, 1984). That study found the following amounts of wetland/riparian <br />habltats displayed in Table I. <br /> <br />"\ . ~ "'C'" <br />l,ULI\j1 <br />