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<br /> <br />• "Riparian areas often support complex mosaics of plant communities, associated <br />with soil and hydrologic variation." <br />• "Riparian habitats are generally characterized by environmental processes markedly <br />different from those that prevail on upland sites." <br />• "Riparian areas are geomorphically active, with periodic natural disturbances <br />affecting soil and hydrologic characteristics." <br />RIPARIAN AREAS AND COI~Il1~IiJNITIES: CAROL ANN PIT SITE <br />The application of the term and concept of riparian is not exact. Based on the <br />definitions above, several criteria repeatedly present themselves when defining and <br />identifying riparian areas and communities. Consistent with the above definitions, <br />riparian areas exhibit the following characteristics. <br />• Riparian areas are in immediate proximity to Flowing water. <br />• Riparian areas have vegetation and soils which reflect the presence of surface or <br />subsurface water for significant periods of time. <br />• Riparian areas are geomorphically active and are dependent upon upstream <br />• energy and materials, maintaining riparian areas in a metastable equilibrium. <br />Applying these criteria and principles to the drainages within the study area, it is <br />apparent that the drainages are not riparian areas. With the exception of the seasonally <br />flowing springs in the unnamed drainage, there is no surface water in the drainages. <br />Considering the seasonal flow in the unnamed drainage, it has not supported the <br />development of a rich mosaic of riparian vegetation. Investigations of vegetation <br />within the unnamed drainage during no-flow conditions (Lewicki, 1995) reveal <br />vegetation which was not different than that present on the surrounding adjacent old <br />fields. <br />As observed earlier, both Spring Creek and the unnamed drainage have a discontinuous <br />canopy comprised of narrow-leaf cottonwood trees. The understory contains willows, <br />grasses, and forts. With the exception of the extremely limited jurisdictional wetland, <br />which is dependent on the seasonal water supply of groundwater springs, the <br />cottonwoods and willows are the singular riparian species of note. There is no <br />"complex mosaic of plant communities" as described by Platts et al. The understory <br />vegetation of Spring Creek was dominated by the same pasture grasses present in the <br />old field vegetation community. Further, there is very little recruitment within the <br />canopy. The canopy is dominated by old and senescent trees. <br />• <br />-6- <br />