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2.04. 10 Vegetation Information <br />AGENCY COORDINATION <br />A plant ecologist from Western Resource Development met with OSM and CMLR <br />personnel in a joint meeting on 7 July 1980 to develop plans for the establishment of <br />reference areas at the McClane Mine as required by the Colorado Surface Coal Mining <br />Reclamation Act. <br />All aspects of the program, including the quantitative sampling procedures, were <br />presented and discussed. Agency personnel were in concurrence with all aspects of the <br />detailed program. Furthermore, it was concluded that one set of reference areas could <br />be used for the McClane and Munger Canyon Mines provided they met the statistical <br />comparability requirements. <br />REGIONAL ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br />The climate of the project site is similar that of Grand Junction. However, the <br />project site is over 1,000 feet higher in elevation and hence may be expected to be <br />cooler, more moist, and have a shorter growing season. <br />Table 4.5.1 presents normal and extreme temperature and precipitation means <br />for Grand Junction based on data from 1941 to 1970. The frost free season in Grand <br />Junction may be 191 days in length but may be expected to be considerable shorter at <br />the project site. Temperatures at Grand Junction have ranged from 105 to -23, but <br />readings of 100 or higher are infrequent, and about one third of the winters have no <br />readings below zero. Summer days with maximum temperatures in the middle and low <br />90's, minimums in the low 60's are common. Relative humidity is very low during the <br />summer. Winds are usually very light during the coldest weather. <br />Changes in winter are generally gradual, and abrupt changes are much less <br />frequent than in eastern Colorado. "Cold waves" are rare. Sunny days predominate in <br />all seasons. The interior, continental location results in quite low precipitation in all <br />seasons. The yearly average is 8.41 inches. Summer rains occur chiefly as scattered <br />light showers from thunderstorms which develop over mountains. Winter snows are <br />fairly frequent but mostly light, and quickly melt off. Even the infrequent snows of from 4 <br />to 8 inches, which are heavy for this locality, seldom remain on the ground for prolonged <br />periods. <br />PR -02 2.04-56 10/12 <br />