2020-02-05_REVISION - M1998013 (27)

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6.4.8 Exhibit H - Wildlife Information Wildlife Assessment Site Description Savage and Savage initially conducted an on-site wildlife assessment for the Burnco Vogl project site project on August 2, 2019. The Vogl project site is comprised of approximately 160 acres within the SW'/a of Section 29, the E%2 of Section 31, and the NW'/4 of Section 32, all within Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6`h Prime Meridian Weld County, Colorado. The property is bounded on the north by the St. Vrain River, the east the Pelican Shores development, the south by Weld County Roads 26 and 26'/z, and west by private residences. The property was accessed from Weld County Road 26`/2. Weather during our site investigation was mild, dry, and clear with a high temperature in the mid-70's (°F). The topography of the site is dominated by the primary and secondary alluvial terraces of the St. Vrain River. The elevation of the project area averages 4820 feet and slopes gently to the north toward the St. Vrain River. The soils that dominate the site are formed from alluvium and consist of gravel bars, loams, and clays. The significant hydrologic feature on the site is the St. Vrain River. The Last Chance irrigation ditch enters the site along the west edge of the property, traverses the southwest segment of the property, and eventually flows into the St. Vrain River to the northeast of the project site. Another irrigation ditch complex enters the property from south of County Road 26, flowing east along the property boundary and irrigating the agricultural field to the north. A riparian woodland community of plains cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) dominates the riparian corridor immediately adjacent to the St. Vrain River and the primary alluvial terrace to the south of the river corridor. This riparian corridor is dominated by mature cottonwoods with a scattered dense coyote willow shrub understory with a moderate to dense herbaceous understory component dominated by cattails (Typha latifolia and Typha angustifolia) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). Ruderal mesic and xeric vegetation communities are located within, west, and south of the riparian woodland vegetation community. These vegetation communities are dominated by secondary successional plant species, including; alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides), meadow foxtail (Hordeum jubatum), smooth brome (Bromus inermis), white sweetclover (Melilotus alba), knapweed varieties (Centaurea sp.), kochia (Kochia scoparia), bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare), field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), horseweed (Conyza canadensis), and curlycup gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa). An old field lies at the south edge of the primary alluvial terrace on the east half of the project site. This vegetation community is dominated by smooth brome, intermediate wheatgrass (Agropyron intermedium), inland saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), kochia, curly dock (Rumex crispus), and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Within the old field is a Exhibit H Page 1