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United States Department of Agriculture <br />o FRCS ~><~.;~:~ <br />Natural Resources Conservation Service 970-3452364 OFFICE <br />P.O. Box U 970-345-6610 FAX <br />Akron CO 80720 www.co.nres.usda.gov <br />October 3, 2005 <br />From: Blake Hendon, Acting District Conservationist <br />Akron Field Office <br />Natural Resources Conservation Service <br />Subject: Reclamation Plan for Nickell Gravel Pit; in Section 30, T5S-R55W, 6~h PM <br />Introduction <br />The following is a reclamation plan for the surveyed pit known as the Nickell <br />Gravel Pit No. M1994077. The reclamation plan is for 58+ acres. <br />Site description <br />The site lies within the Vega Creek drainage in southwestern Washington County <br />and consists primarily of eroded Bankard sandy loam. Other minor soils include Baca <br />silt loam, Colby-Norka loam, Paoli fine sandy loam, and Table Mountain loam. The <br />Bankard sandy loam is a deep, excessively drained soil on the alluvial valley floors and <br />on low stream terraces of intermittent and perennial streams. It is formed in sandy <br />alluvium. Slope for this soil typically varies from 0 to 2 percent. Slopes on the site vary <br />from 0 to 20 percent. This map unit is in capability subclasses IVw, irrigated, and Vlw, <br />nonirrigated. The ecological site correlated with this soil is Sandy Bottomland. (See <br />attached soils descriptions, ecological site descriptions, and topographic map for further <br />detail). <br />Wildlife <br />Common bird species expected on this site include Cassin's and Brewer's <br />Sparrow, chestnut collared longspur, lark bunting, western meadowlark, burrowing owl, <br />and ferruginous and Swainson's Hawks. White-tailed and black-tailed jackrabbit, <br />badger, pronghorn, mule deer, coyote, swift fox, plains pocket gopher, long-tailed <br />weasel, and several species of mice are mammals that commonly occupy the ecological <br />site. Reptiles using this site include western rattlesnake, bullsnake, plains garter snake, <br />western hognose snake, racer, western box turtle, and six-lined racerunner. <br />Vegetation <br />Current vegetation for the site consists of typical grass and forb species found <br />within the historical climax plant community. {See Sandy Bottomland ecological site <br />description for further detail). <br />