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appropriate. These taxa could be comprised of any species found during baseline investigations, or • <br />similar taxa, which would achieve a height of 15 feet or greater upon maturity. <br />3.5 Rioarian /Wetlands <br />The riparian /wetland community comprises only 1.0 acre (0.8%) along the southem fringe of the <br />vegetation study area and does not occur in any area that may conflict with the proposed disturb+ance <br />footprint. (tt only occurs along the base of the southem fill slope of the railroad grade.) Aflhough this <br />community only occupies 1.0 acre of the study area it extends to a much larger area (34.54 ar;res) <br />between fire vegetation study boundary and Highway 133 (see Map V-1 ). Therefore, per agreement with <br />the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology, this "minor' community was surveyed qualitatively. <br />Because this larger extent of riparian /wetland extends across differing land ownership and management <br />R was di~rided into four sub-units for discussion purposes. The location of each of these sub-units is <br />indicated on both Maps V-1 and V-2. <br />Sub-units A, B, and C have been entirely separated lrom active river channel processes by Highway <br />133. Sub-unit D is only separated from the active channel by a man-made levee. However, elevated <br />flood waters oould cause this wetland to be re-connected to the river. Although most fluvial processes are <br />no longer acting upon these areas of riparian /wetland, groundwaters are still connected though slow to <br />react to cFtanges in river elevation. <br />As indicated on Table V2, a total oT 109 plant species were identified within this community including <br />8 designated noxious weed taxa and 17 spades identified as invasive weeds. No sensitive species were <br />observed ~ivithin the riparian /wetland typo. Plates 17 through 28 provide photographic documentation of <br />this community at the time of field investigations. A description of this community, by sub-unit, is <br />presented in the following sections. <br />3.5.1 Srab-Unit A <br />Sub-lJnit A (8.42 acres) is privately owned and located at the west end of the riparian /wetland <br />complex. The wetland portion of this sub-unit is approximately 1.2 acres while the pasture (converted <br />riparian) a~mprises 7.22 acres. Irrigation tailwater supplies the wetland much of the year and according <br />to the landowner it usually dries up in winter. This suggests strongly that the fill slope from Highway 133 <br />has seated this area of wetland which otherwise would be riparian. The wetland exhibits some open • <br />water but ;a majority of its area was occupied by narrow-leaT cattail (Typha lati/olia). A short reach of <br />Q.'III6~m V~,aur~ li ca®¢.'U~'¢BO, [[+c. Page 21 Exhibit 5 -Bowie Baseline Vegetation Survey <br />