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Cover Factor "C" <br />For rangeland and pastureland, the "C" factor is directly related to the percent of the <br />ground covered by vegetation and the type of vegetation that is present. Subsurface <br />effects such as root mass can also be considered. The type of vegetation is important <br />because herbaceous plants with a live cover of 25% will protect the soil much better <br />than a site that contains an equal cover but where the cover is primarily comprised of <br />trees or shrubs. <br />Table 2 (from EPA 1977) shows the variation in "C" factors for varying range <br />conditions. From the 2001-2002 study of the reclaimed area, the total live ground cover <br />to control erosion is 51.5%. Litter is an additional 31.7%, therefore the total cover to <br />control erosion is 83.2%. Assuming that some mulch is not providing much benefit for <br />erosion, 80% cover will be used. <br />Using Table 2 with a no appreciable canopy and 80% ground cover, the "C" factor is <br />0.013. <br />6 <br />