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RITTENHOUSE PROPERTY <br />Most of the Rittenhouse property is characterized by upland vegetation. While the site <br />is located on the South Platte River floodplain, most of the areas are topographically too high <br />and the depth to the water table is too great to support wetlands. Prairie dog burrows are <br />common throughout the upland part of the area. Major species in the upland areas include <br />field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) and summer cypress (Kochia scogaria). <br />Most of the wetland areas on the Rittenhouse property are associated with the channel <br />and trench of the South Platte River (Map R-1). While in many places the channel consists of <br />exposed sand and gravel bars, these areas constitute waters of the United States and are treated <br />like wetlands. Stands of plains cottonwoods (Populus snrgentii) occur on the higher terraces <br />along the sections of the South Platte River within the property. These areas are <br />topograpMcally too high to support wetlands. The major species in the understory of the <br />woodlands include smooth brome (Bromus inermis) and white top (Cnrdaria draba). <br />In the northwestern corner of the property there is a wetland associated with a diversion <br />ditch. Within a distance of about 500 feet, the water from the diversion empties into the natural <br />channel of a tributary to Big Dry Creek. Because of this connection, this wetland area is <br />jurisdictional. <br />In the southeast comer of the property there is a small wetland area associated with an <br />ephemeral drainage. The wetland occurs in a low portion of the drainage where water <br />occasionally collects. There is also a similar wetland on the south side of Weld County Road 6. <br />There is a channel that extends northward from this wetland, but no other wetland areas were <br />noted along the channel. The vegetation is dominated by summer cypress and other weedy <br />species that are upland in character. Because this small wetland is isolated, it was judged to be <br />non-jurisdictional. Both jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional wetlands occur on the site (Table <br />R-1). <br />If the preliminary boundaries for proposed m;n;ng cells are followed, none of the <br />jurisdictional wetland areas on the Rittenhouse property would be affected by mining. The <br />small wetland next to Weld County Road 6 could be avoided if the boundaries were changed <br />slightly. <br />_y <br />