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• exhibit 50% plant cover, 25% litter cover, 23% bare ground, and 2% rock cover. This orchard was subject <br />to intensive grazing in 2000 and was actively grazed by two horses at the time of evaluation. Utilization of <br />understory species was estimated between 85 and 95% over the entire orchard and extensive damage to <br />fruit trees by domestic livestock was evident. Although plant identification was difficult due to the grazing <br />impacts, the three most prominent plant species appeared to be orchardgrass, English plantain (Plantago <br />lanceolate), and alfalfa. <br />3.3.2 Production <br />Production from the Bowie Orchard for 2000 and the previous five years is exhibited on Tables Vi <br />and V12 and Chart 4. An average of 22,050 pounds of Red Delicious apples, 9,730 pounds of Jonathan <br />apples, and 2,950 pounds of sweet cherries is harvested each year from this orchard. The harvest varies <br />greatly each year depending on the date and severity of the last frost and the availability of irrigation <br />water. Production data from the Williams Orchard was not available, but can be assumed to be less than <br />that for the Bowie orchard on a per aae basis because of the age of the trees. Forage production in the <br />Bowie Orchard was visually estimated to be around 2,500 pounds per acre and is cut for hay (data <br />regarding the number of bales is not available). Forage production in the Williams Orchard is estimated <br />to be between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds per acre because of a greater Vee overstory and less irrigation. <br />3.3.1 Other Variables and Observations <br />A total of 49 and 41 plant species were found within The Bowie and William's Orchards, respectively. <br />Both orchards exhibited 5 noxious weed speces. Invasive weed species documented from the two <br />orchards were 12 and 10 from the Bowie and William's Orchards, respectively. No sensitive species were <br />observed within these two orchards. Plates 9 through 12 provide photographic documentation of these <br />orchards at the time of sampling. <br />Review of Table V13 indicates that 106 sweet cherry and 1,847 apple trees were identified within the <br />Bowie Orchard. Similarly, 25 apricot, 86 sweet cherry, 81 pear, and 404 apple trees were counted in the <br />William's Orchard. This accounts for approximately 172 fruit trees per acre for the Bowie Orchard and 95 <br />fruit trees per acre for the William's Orchard. Based on these numbers the spacing grid for trees <br />averages about 15 feet and 20 feet for the Bowie and William's Orchards, respectively. Both orchards are <br />gravity irrigated through small channels running adjacent to each row of trees. <br />• Because fruit trees will not mature and produce fruit much before 10 years of age, it is recommended <br />that the eventual revegetation success standards for these orchards, assuming that this land use is <br />d;Q®~ 2~Ir®S /~CO®Q.'DA7I'IW, tNC. Page 18 Exhibit 5 -Bowie Baseline Vegetation Survey <br />