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• III IIIIIIIIIIIII III <br />999 <br />UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />Soil Conservation Service. Colorado <br />Technical Guide <br />Section II E <br /> <br />J~I <br />RANGE SITE N0. 407 <br />Field Office <br />August 1975 <br />RANGE SITE DESCRIPTION <br />for <br />SALTDESERT OVERFLOW <br />Land Resource Area: San Juan River Valley, Mesas and <br />Plateaus (37) <br />Colorado and Green Rivers <br />Plateaus (35) <br />Central Desertic Basins, Mountains, <br />and Plateaus (34) <br />A. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br />Physiographic Features <br />Elevation ranges from 4500 to 6000 feet. These are flood-over <br />lands on gently sloping bottomlands in major valleys. <br />2. Climatic Features <br />Average annual precipitation is 7 to 12 inches with over 50$ <br />falling during the growing season. Optimum growing season for <br />native plants is April through September. Average temperature <br />during this period is 62 degrees F. <br />Other significant information: Late May, June and early July <br />are quite dry and moisture is not usually available for plant <br />growth. The site has resulted from silt and sand laden runoff <br />water from adjacent areas. Therefore, it naturally receives <br />more moisture for plant growth than the climate indicates. <br />Cool season plants are favored because of the June drought and <br />best growth is made following spring thaw and again in early fall <br />following late summer rains. <br />3. Native (potential) Vegetation <br />The dense cover is formed mostly by grasses. These have an <br />overstory of fourwing saltbush and a scattered stand of rubber <br />rabbitbrush and greasewood. The main grasses are alkali sacaton, <br />galleta, Indian ricegrass, sand dropseed, squirreltail and <br />slender wheatgrass. Basin wildrye is often present in localized <br />colonies. Forbs include two-grooved milkvetch, sunflower, asters <br />and green molly. <br />e <br />~.. <br />~:: <br />~: <br />s.. <br />