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Existing Vegetation Communities <br /> Prior to any mining on the site, the vegetation was irrigated field. The current undisturbed <br /> vegetation for the site is primarily dry rangeland grasses. The percent cover of grasses is higher <br /> in areas where shade is available from the many shrubs and trees on site. The center of the permit <br /> area has less cover than the northern and southern portions. There are some wetland plants in the <br /> wetland fringe of the North Lake. Also, the banks of the Uncompahgre River have wetland <br /> grasses. Willows, tamarisk and Russian olive are also present near the river. Alder trees are also <br /> present in a larger area near the northern edge of the permit area. Knapweed is also present in the <br /> permit area and has been aggressively sprayed from 2005-2007. <br /> In the undisturbed areas, the perennial vegetation consists of the following species and their <br /> approximate corresponding percent of canopy cover: <br /> SPECIES %LIVE PERENNIAL COVER <br /> Russian knapweed 15 <br /> Field pennycress 2 <br /> Sumac 2 <br /> Reed canarygrass 4 <br /> Tamarisk 2 <br /> Cottonwoods (Narrow leaf and Fremont) 8 <br /> Field horsetail 1 <br /> Russian wildrye 4 <br /> Inland saltgrass 6 <br /> Four-wing saltbush 3 <br /> Sticky-flowered rabbitbrush 5 <br /> Russian olive 4 <br /> Siberian elm 1 <br /> Bull thistle 2 <br /> Blue mustard 1 <br /> Nebraska sedge 1 <br /> Yellow sweet clover 1 <br /> Intermediate wheatgrass 5 <br /> Cattails 2 <br /> Streambank willow 1 <br /> Olathe Pit, 2018 <br />