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<br />Siloam Stone -Bedrock Mi• t •
<br />January 7, 7998
<br />Exhibit J -Vegetation -Addendum
<br />The following information was obtained from a USDA publica-
<br />tion Soil Survey of Pueblo Area, Colorado. This generic informa-
<br />tion, may no be site specific but after reviewing the site and
<br />this text will give us an idea of what types of plants and range
<br />conditions exist on the site now. The EBF - Eutroboralfs, steep
<br />soils has no range classification and on this site comprised the
<br />canyon areas on the site. The soil overview descriptions given
<br />in the Mining Plan text show the percentage of area covered by
<br />each soil type. Typically this publication over states the site
<br />specific range conditions because they are based on a typical
<br />sampling for the area. I feel they are fairly representative ow
<br />what we have on the Bedrock Mine #1 because grazing has been
<br />limited for the past few years and the site is in good condi-
<br />tions. Early this summer we will contact the SCS and ask for a
<br />site specific range investigations so we will have that informa-
<br />tion when reclamation begins. The current weather conditions and
<br />snow cover prevent us from doing this now.
<br />The information indicates that the site is probably capable
<br />of producing an average of 950 lbs/ac forage and is rated as fair
<br />for rangeland. The carrying capacity is approximately 0.78
<br />AUM/ac or I.25 ac/AUM.
<br />NuD - Nunn clay loam,
<br />5 to 9 percent slope
<br />PmE - Penrose-Minnequa
<br />Complex, 1 to 15~ slopes
<br />I.OANT tOOTRt1.Le RANOe errs
<br />This range site is made up of moderately permeable
<br />to slowly permeable soils that have a surface layer of
<br />stony loam, silt loam, or clay loam. The elope is 1 to 9
<br />percent. The available water capacity is high. The
<br />average annual precipitation is 16 to 18 inches, and
<br />most of the precipitation falls during thunderstorms
<br />in the period April to September.
<br />The approximate potential plant community is made
<br />up of 30 percent western wheatgrass, 20 percent needle-
<br />andthread, 16 percent blue grams, 10 percent little
<br />hluestem, 10 percent prairie junegrass, 6 percent sedges
<br />and 10 percent other plants.
<br />If the site is in excellent condition, the total annual
<br />yield ie about 1,600 pomlds of air-dry herbage per
<br />acre during years of favorable moisture and 900 pounds
<br />per acre in other years. Of this, about 90 percent fa
<br />from plants that provide forage for cnt.tle.
<br />If this site is heavily grazed for a long period of
<br />years, western wheatgrass, needleandthread, and little
<br />bluestem decrease or disappear and are replaced by
<br />blue grams: sedges, and prairie junegrass. (;ontinued
<br />heavy grazing or further depletion of the vegetation
<br />permits the invasion of annual [orbs, eleepygraes, biue-
<br />grasa, juniper, oak, and pinyon.
<br />' I.OANT rLAINe RATIO! SITE
<br />This range site ie made up of slowly permeable to
<br />moderately permeable eolle that have a surface layer
<br />of fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, silty clay foam, or
<br />clay loam. The elope is 0 to 9 percent. The available
<br />water capacity is moderate to high. 1'he average annual
<br />~ precipitation is ]2 inches, and most of the precipitation
<br />i falls during thunderstorms in the period April to
<br />September. The plains climate has a dominating effect
<br />ton the kind and amount of vegetation produced on
<br />these soils.
<br />The approximate potential plant community is made
<br />up of 68 percent blue grams, 10 percent western wheat-
<br />grass, f0 percent gallela, 6 percent ueedleaudthread, fi
<br />percent side-oats grams, 6 percent fourwing saltbush,
<br />6 percent sand dropseed, 1 percent bottlebrush squirrel-
<br />tail, and 1 percent perennial forbs.
<br />If the site is in excellent condition, the total annual
<br />yield is about 1,000 pounds of air-dry herbage per acre
<br />during years of favorable moisture and 600 pomrds per
<br />acre in other years. Of this, about 85 percent is from
<br />plants that provide forage for cattle.
<br />It flits site is heavily grazed for a long period of
<br />years, western wheatgrass, side-oats gra ma, and
<br />needleandlhrend decrease or disappear and are replaced
<br />by sand dropseed, bottlebrush squirrelfalil, and blue
<br />grams. Continued heavy grazing or further depletion
<br />of the vegetation permits lire invasion of annual forms,
<br />three-awn, cactus, and perennial forbs.
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