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_ ~ OVh1, were not representative of the vegetation being proposed for the final <br />• reclamation; that being a grassland with clumped areas of shrubs., Therefore, <br />they felt that a suitable reclamation standard could not be met by the 1981 <br />reference areas. <br />' On April 7, 1982, a meeting was held at the OVM to discuss the reclamation <br />standard. Representatives of OSt4 and CMLRD were present and it was decided <br />that a potential reference area located near the particulate sampling station <br />may be able to serve as a reclamation standard for the final reclamation as <br />planned. <br />~,~: <br />-• DESCRIPTION OF HERBACEOUS REFERENCE AREA <br />The herbaceous reference area is located on a southeast facing ridge <br />located in the NW':,, NE',, Section 26,, Township 135, Range 92W. Elevation of <br />the site is approximatley 6,620 feet above mean sea level. Soils are a silty <br />clay showing a high "shrink-swell" factor. Slopes of the area range from <br />relatively flat (0-2ZO) to moderately steep (25-30%) with south, east and west <br />facing aspects. The vegetation of the reference area is dominated by forbs <br />and grasses. Shrubs and trees are conspicuously lacking because the surround- <br />ing vegetation is completely dominated by shrubs and trees. <br />-. Table 1 presents a summary of the quantitative aspects of the herbaceous <br />reference area. Detailed data may be found in the appendix. Total vegetation <br />cover was 63.0 percent while bare ground was 33.6 percent. Perennial forbs <br />a <br />comprised the majority of the vegetation cover with 60.3 percent of which <br />thistle (Cirsium perplexans) comprised 31.0 percent. Yellow sweetclover <br />(Melilotus officinalis) comprised 16.4 percent of the cover followed by showy <br />goldeye (Viguierea multiflora) with 6.4 percent. Western wheatgrass <br />- (Agroavr•on smithii) comprised 9.3 percent of the cover and was the only peren- <br />nial grass observed in the cover data. <br />Total annual above ground production was 187.9 gms/sq.m (1676.3 lbs/acre). <br />As with the cover data, perennial forbs dominated the production with 162.8 <br />gms/sq.m (1452.8 lbs/acre) of which thistle was the dominant species with <br />116.8 gms/sq.m or 1041.6 lbs/acre. Western wheatyrass produced 19.9 yms/sq.m <br />(177.7 lbs/acre). <br />• <br />s <br />-2- <br />