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`v • Mr. Randy Jackson 7uckels Construction 41230 Routt County Road # 129 Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 1111111111111111111 Re: Vegetation Community Types on the Proposed Hogue Gravel Pit. Dear Randy. March 3, 1993 This letter is written in response to you request that I provide a description of the different vegetation types found on the proposed Hogue Gravel Pit Progeny. You indicated that you needed this information to submit in connection with your mining permit. The following description is based upon observations made during the Heady one weeks time we spend working on the property during April 1992, in connection with the jurisdictional wetland survey we conducted. The area in which you propose to operate your gravel pit is mapped on the Soil Conservation Service's Land Use and Natural Plant Communities Map of Routt County, Colorado as "Irrigated Cropland, Pastureland and Hayland." Unfortunately this description is so vague it has very limited meaning. This designation is correct in identifying the site as predominately irrigated hayland. The dominate plant community ie found on this site is improved irrigated hayland. The plant species associated with these areas are Tuno[hy, Smooth Bromegrass and Kentucky Bluegrass with lesser amounts of :strawberry Clover. This is the area which receives the management emphasis on the property. Low laying areas in the old oxbows and adjacent to the irrigation ditches are dominated by Nebraska Sedge, Spikesedges and Red[op. Near the northwest corner of the property there is a small elevated hill which historically was dominated by Big Sagebrush and Rabbitbrush and Western Wheatgrass, but due to the extensive use of this area as a feeding ground the shrubs are in poor vigor and many annual weeds, such as Common Dandelion and Canadian and Russian Thistle are now found on this site. Adjacent to the Yampa River there is a narrow band of Sandbar Willow and Reedcanarygrass. In several areas near [he river there are small stands of old Narrowleaf Cottonwood, Sandbar Willow and various grasses. To the west of the old gravel pit there is a band of Willows which are confined to an apparent old oxbow. The dominate grass in this stand of Willow is Bluejoint Reedgrass. The areas disturbed near the•old gravel pit have been artificially revt;getated. The most common planted grasses planted in this area are Smooth Bromegrass and Intermediate Wheatgrass. Numerous Lodgepole Pine and Russian Olive seedlings have been planted in this area. In these disturbed areas which were apparently missed in the original seeding or did not become eskiblished there are dense stands of Hounds Tongue and Canadian Thistle. Given the heavy use of few stands of native vegetation by cattle on this site the condition of these areas is generally poor with an apparent stable trend. Hopefully this brief description is ~ • `iicient for your permitting needs, If you need any additional information please do not hesitate to contact .ne. Sincerely, ~~~~ ~ ~C~ ent A. Crofts IME P.O. Box 270 Yampa, CO 80483 303-638-4462 Exl~tb;~ I2. B.