PERMFILE51137 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

~_ 4~~ ~r.~~fTl+-~ susr for Dorchester Colo?ins Coal Description of Permit Area The land concerned in the permit request is in a transitional zone between the foothills and the plains. Plant species associated with different range sites commonly interarade in such transitional zones. Two ra~~te sites occur ip the permit area, load foothill and gravel breaks-P.J. xoodland site. The gravel breaks site has plant species present that are found on more mesic foothill sites. Range Site Descriptions- general soils and potential vegetation expected: Loa:gq Foothills -The soils on this site are of medium to slightly clayey texture with a.oderate permeability and fair water holding capacity. These soils are excellent for productive plant growth when moisture is aaequate. Y7estern vheatgrass and needle grasses are dominant on excellent condition ran Re. 31ve grams and Jvnegrass form the major grass understory. Blue- grasses, bluebunch wheatgrass, little bluestem, Indian ricegrass, squirrel- tail grass and ga2leta ray occur in various amounts. Fringed sage and s~ sedge are usually present i~ s;call amounts. Sing mutely, Gambels oak, F.ocky ?'ountain juniper, p iZyon pine, cholla, tall rabbitbrush, and sleepy grass are most likely to invade this site. Total annual production of air ary forage varies iron 900 to 1500 pounds per acre. Gravel Breaks -Soils in this site are shallow and gravelly with sandy loam to gravelly sandy surface and subsoils. Y.oisture intake is rapid but moisture holding capacity ie law. Sideoats grams, little bluestem, Indiam ricegrass, sand dropseed, western vheatgrasa are mixed xith blue grams to 'form the major portion of the vegetation. Small soapweed, cholla, low rabbit brush, skunkbush sumac, and buckwheat are common. Juniper and pinyon pine may form dense stands near the transition zone. Productim ranges iron 400 to 1600 pounds air dry forage per acre annually. Site Degetative Description: Roughly three quarters of the permit area is loam foothills and is locat- ed aa: the flat, open tops of terraces. The remainder of the area is prim- arily composed of gravel breaks - °-J xoodland transition zone oa the rest of the hillsides. The loam foothill range is in good canditian with western wheatgrass producing half the available forage. 91ue grams produces the remainder of the grass forage with small amounts of three-awn grass, sedge and ring mutely. Skhmk bush sumac, fringed sage, buckwheat, snakexeed, woolly loco, yucca, death canal, and miscellaneous forbes contribute • ' about $ percent to the total forage production. Estimated Lotal annual ~ yield of air dry forage is 100-1100 pounds per acre. ~-R.R