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<br />o <br />::"? <br />'l:t' Table 23. - Vegetative types, watershed area, Silt project <br /> <br />Type <br /> <br />Square miles <br /> <br />Total <br /> <br />5 <br />20 <br />40 <br />20 <br />20 <br />23 <br />..l9.. <br />158 <br />4 <br />.J1.. <br />175 <br /> <br />eon ifer timber <br />Aspen <br />Oakbrush <br />Other mountain brush <br />Sagebrush <br />Grass <br />Pinon juniper <br /> <br />Subtotal <br /> <br />Naturally barren <br />CuI tivated land <br /> <br />Soils and Erosion <br /> <br />Drainages are characterized by steep slopes with a thin soil cover. Deeper <br />soil is found in the narrow valley bottoms of alluvial deposits and of the <br />upper park areas. The main streams have moderate gradients while the <br />feeder tributaries are steeper. Lands with poor and very poor vegetative <br />conditions are losing soil. <br /> <br />Upper elevation zones have good vegetative cover with practically no erosion <br />except for roads, trails and a stock driveway. In East Rifle Creek and <br />its tributaries, many inactive beaver ponds are deteriorating and releasing <br />the accumulated sediment. <br /> <br />There Is an intemediate brush zone type, predominantly oak, which has deep <br />soils, steep slopes, and slight erosion. Most of the lower elevation zones <br />are classified as wild lands having raw, highly €rosive soils on steep slopes <br />with a sparse cover of pinon and juniper. <br /> <br />Valley floors above the reservoir site have been deeply gullied. Erosion <br />at the present time is active on all meandering sections of these gullies; <br />however, some sections appear to be in the process of stabilization. Most <br />of these areas are privately owned and the land use is dry and irrigated <br />farming. Improper use and disposal of irrigation water continues to aggra- <br />vate the problem. <br /> <br />Land Use <br /> <br />A major portion of the upper watershed is federally oWfted and is used for <br /> <br />- 51 - <br />