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the mitigation areas. Sedges will be planted in densities comparable to existing wetlands. If <br />necessary, soils will be imported to the site from impacted wetlands along Sylvester Gulch. <br />Hydrology for the mitigation areas will be sustained via overbank flooding and alluvial <br />groundwater as a result of the lowered elevation. <br />FUNCTIONS AND VALUES <br />The functions and values of the wetlands which will be impacted by the proposed project are <br />typical of riparian wetlands in mountain settings. Wetland and riparian vegetation, particularly <br />woody plant species, provide significant shoreline anchoring and bank stabilization. However, <br />the Sylvester Gulch channel is fairly incised iri this reach due to a combination of erosive soils and' <br />"flash-flood" flows from strong precipitation events. <br />Flood storage and sediment trapping occur in these riparian wetlands when overbank flooding <br />occurs, which typically occurs only duriUg spring runoff for a period of 1 to 3 weeks. <br />Because the riparian wetlands are connected on either side of the channel to mature scrub-oak <br />forests, food chain support and wildlife habitat are moderate. Both the riparian wetlands and seep <br />wetlands provide significant sources of water in the Sylvester Gulch basin. The riparian zone is <br />used as a migratory corridor for large mammals (e.g., elk, mule deer, and black bear) in <br />conjunction with numerous other game trails along the slopes of the basin. <br />Recrrztional uses are limited by the dense gowth of vegetation, lack of open water, and private <br />ownership. No recreational fishing opportunities exist in the entire Sylvester Gulch basin. <br />Wildlife viewing opportunities are better, particularly for bird species. <br />The mitigation wetland will replace the above mentioned functions and values in that a similar <br />riparian wetland will be created along Minnesota Creek. The main differences between the twos <br />sites are: <br />1) Agricultural lands (meadows) bordering the mitigation site to the north, and <br />2) Higher flows along Minnesota Creek than in Sylvester Gulch. <br />Another difference in favor of the location of the mitigation site is that it will not directly adjoin an <br />access road as is the case with the wetlands in Sylvester Gulch. <br />831-0321340abbk104app.dac 12 <br />