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<br /> <br />' VEGETATION <br />T880161 <br />EXHIBIT J <br />The permit site is located in area dominated by rangeland type vegetation. The site has <br />a sparse (25% to 50%) cover of grasses with minor forbes and shrubs. Figure J.1 shows <br />' ' the soils and vegetation on the mine site. <br />The soil unit covering the largest portion of the site is the Valmont clay loam, which <br />commonly forms high terraces and alluvial fans. This soils is well drained and forms in <br />clayey, cobbly to gravelly alluvium with less than a 3 percent slope. The predominant <br />' native vegetation is western wheat grass, green needlegrass, and blue grama. The <br />average annual production of air-dry vegetation ranges from 600 to 1,200 pounds per <br />' acre (Soill Survey of Golden Area, Colorado, 1980). <br />The second most widely spread soil unit at the permit area is the Midway soil. This <br />' soil forms on calcareous, clayey material derived from shale and mudstone on hill slopes. <br />The soil is a shallow, well drained clay loam. Commonly weathered shale is at a depth <br />1 of about 14 inches. Permeability is low. This soil has formed on the slope breaks <br />betveen the three alluvial terraces present. The native vegetation is mainly western <br />wheatgrass, green needlegrass, sideoats grama, and needleandthread. The average annual <br />production of air-dry vegetation ranges from 700 to 1,000 pounds per acre (Soil Survey <br />' of Golden Area, Colorado, 1980). <br />The last soil unit, which will be only minorly effected by the pit operation, is the <br />' Veldkamp-Nederland very cobble, sandy loam. The native vegetation is mainly big <br />bluestem, little bluestem, blue grama, and mountain muhly. The average annual produc- <br />t lion of air-dry vegetation ranges from 1,000 to 2,3000 pounds per acre (Soil survey of <br />Golden Area, Colorado, 1980). <br />The range carrying capacity for all of these soil/vegetation units is low. <br />Table J.1 :lists forbes, ]ow-shrubs, and cacti, which, while not dominant species, could be <br />expected to occur in the quarry site area. <br />-37- <br />