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35 - Fluvaquents, flooded, on floodplains and low terraces, 0 to 8 percent slopes. <br />42 - Glenton Fine Sandy Loam, on floodplains and low terraces, 0 to 3 percent slopes <br />It is necessary to point out that the site was graded many years ago for irrigation, so that the original <br />soils were disturbed and in some places, removed. It is expected that the average topsoil thickness <br />that can be stripped from the site is 4 inches. This includes the fact that none will be stripped from <br />the existing small pond that is part of the mining area as well as a portion of the site which was pre- <br />viously dozed, which has gravel immediately on the surface. Below the topsoil is a layer (< 3 feet) of <br />subsoiUoverburden exists before the gravel deposit is reached. As described in the mining plan, all <br />topsoil will be salvaged and used in reclamation. Since much more topsoil will be stripped than is <br />needed to reclaim the slopes of the lake and the small area above the lake, the stripped soil will be <br />used to increase the thickness of the replaced topsoil. <br />7. Vegetation <br />No native vegetation communities aze currently present within the proposed permit azea. As de- <br />scribed in the section on land use, the site was dozed to facilitate imgation decades ago. The Feld <br />has been irrigated for hay production since that time. Production has been approximately 2.5-3.0 <br />tons per acre per year. Some thistle and other weeds are present in field but make up less than 5% of <br />the total vegetation. The depression shown on Map B-1 has allowed more water to accumulate, thus <br />creating a man made wetland in the bottom, consisting of cattials, and willows. The central portion <br />of the mining area also contains some willows and some immature cottonwoods as a result of past <br />imgation. Ground cover is variable depending upon past activity, and most plants have naturally <br />invaded since irrigation was stopped. A significant portion of the site is almost barren, as a result of <br />past dozing. Between the central area that contains the cottonwoods and the south cottonwood <br />grove, perennial grasses and weeds dominate the pasture. Average ground cover is approximately <br />30%, and approximately 1/5 of this amount consists of weedy species. Variability within the site is <br />high. The local SCS specialist provided an inventory of plants found on the site south of the river in <br />1982. Although this letter corresponded to the Farnsworth #2 Pit area, it is adjacent to this permit <br />area. This letter from Mark Loye is enclosed in Appendix D. The pictures enclosed in this section <br />show the site as it exists in December of 2003. <br />A large mature cottonwood grove south of the mining area will be avoided. Immediately south of the <br />cottonwood grove (approximately 50') is a return imgation ditch which has wetland plants at the <br />bottom and which is wet slightly above ground level throughout most of the year. This wetland is <br />North Fork Pit Mazch 04 7 <br />