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VIM <br /> L i <br /> UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br /> • Soil Conservation Service Colorado <br /> Technical Guide RANGE SITE NO. 35 <br /> Section II E Field Office <br /> December 1975 <br /> RANGE SITE DESCRIPTION <br /> fo r <br /> SALT MEADOW <br /> Land Resource Area : Central High Plains (67) <br /> Upper Arkansas Valley Rolling PLains (69) <br /> Central High Tablelands (72) <br /> Southern High Plains (77) <br /> A. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br /> 1 . Physiographic Features <br /> Landscape characteristics are those typical of meadows in <br /> that they are in lowland positions. Slopes are nearly level <br /> to gently sloping. This site is located at elevation between <br /> 3000 and 6000 feet . <br /> • 2 . Climatic Features <br /> The average annual precipitation is in the 10 to 19 inch zones. <br /> As much as two thirds or more of this is received during the <br /> May to October period. The optimum period for most plant growth j <br /> is between April I and September 30. <br /> 3. Native (potential ) Vegetation <br /> The primary grasses of this site impart the meadow appearance <br /> it has. These grasses are alkali sacaton, switchgrass , western <br /> wheatgrass , sedges , alkali bluegrass and slender wheatgrass. <br /> Other grasses are Canada wildrye, foxtail barley, vine mesquite <br /> (LRA69) prairie cordgrass (LRA72) and rush. <br /> i <br /> Cottonwoods and willows of river bottoms often form bordering <br /> plant communities to this site and an occasional cottonwood or <br /> willow may be seen on soil inclusions associated with the site. <br /> Ground cover amounts to as much as 5O% or more. Plants not a part <br /> of the native community that are most likely to invade when the <br /> cover deteriorates are tamarix, gumweed, kochia, Russian thistle, <br /> poverty weed and prickly pear. <br /> • I <br /> 77 <br />