Laserfiche WebLink
r <br />Wetland Determination <br />Site Description <br />The Wellington Downs Pit site is located south of Fort Coliins in Larimer County. <br />It occurs between I-25 and County Road No. 7, and Harmony Road and County <br />Rd. 36 (see Vicinity Map). The area is characteristic of rural agricultural land in <br />Larimer County in which sand and gravel operations occur frequently within the <br />Cache la Poudre floodplain. This property is currently utilized for both cattle <br />grazing and crops. <br />This wetland delineation encompasses that area within the mining permit boundary. <br />Wetlands occur on this site in remnant channel scars on grazed pastureland. These <br />scazs appear as meandering depressions in the landscape, and as the lowest point on <br />the property, they likely carry both stormwater flows and irrigation runoff. While <br />several irrigation ditches occur on the parcel, only two ditches appeaz to carry <br />surface runoff and so are considered Waters of the US. Further, two stock ponds <br />are also designated Waters of the US as the land use is proposed to change from <br />agricultural to mining. <br />Vegetation <br />In both wetland areas, 60% of the plant species visible this time of year were <br />indicative of wetlands. Several plant species also indicated alkaline soils typical of <br />irrigated agricultural land in this region. It should be noted that while coo] season <br />grasses had emerged, warm season grasses and rushes had not. Remnant plant <br />matter without seed structures was relied upon for identification and dominance <br />assessment. A familiarity with species common to grazed lands in this region <br />supported these field observations, however. <br />Scirpus americanus (OBL) and Juncus, sp or Eleocharis (FAC - OBL) were <br />highly dominant in these areas. Also dominant were Poa canpressa (FACU), Poa <br />pratensis (FACU), and Hordeum jubatum (FACW). Other species observed <br />included Plantago lanceolata (FAC), and Distichlis spicata (NI). A distinct shift to <br />dominance from this community to dominance by Poa compressa, Poa pratensis, <br />and Distichlis spicata marked the transition from wetland to upland plant <br />communities. <br />Soils <br />The USSCS Soil Survey of Larimer County describes these soils as Loveland <br />Series. Loveland soils are deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in <br />material weathered from alluvium. They occur on terraces and floodplains and are <br />underlain by sand and gravel. Slopes aze 0 to 1 percent. <br />The soil matrix in both test plots exhibited low matrix chroma indicative of wetland <br />soils (lOYR 3/1). in both instances sails were saturated. A dark organic layer and <br />iron and manganese concretions were also apparent at the soil surface suggesting <br />prolonged inundation or saturation. <br />Wellington Ibwns Pil - We~larul Delineation Anderson ~ Company <br />T6N, R68W, S3, Latimer County April 14, 1995 <br />