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' IV. DESCRII'1'ION OF THE HISTORIC RECORD STUDY AREA <br />------------------------------------------------------------------------ <br />The historic record study area is situated on a gently sloping bench or terrace southwest <br />of the current surface facilities area near the center of Section 16, T90W, R13S, in <br />Gunnison County, Colorado. The area has a maximum elevation of 6760 feet and a <br />' minimum elevation of 6680 feet. Aspect is northerly and slope grade averages 8 <br />percent. Surface water drainage at the study area is predominantly sheet flow, though <br />the study area is immediately bounded on the west by a gentle Swale and on the east <br />' (3000 feet distant) by Sylvester Gulch. No rock outcrops are present within the study <br />area, though base materials are presumed to be sandstones and shales. <br />' Soils of the historic record study area reflect young soils with little horizon <br />development. The gentle topography of the immediate azea has allowed accumulation <br />and deposition of sideslope material which has formed a deep mineral soil on the <br />terrace. With relatively low levels of annual precipitation and native vegetation <br />characterized by woody species of montane and xeric conditions, soils do not have <br />significantly developed organic horizons. <br />The native vegetation originally present within the study area is presumed to be the <br />' adjacent oakbrush community. The oakbrush community is composed of three <br />vegetative layers; a tall shrub/low tree stratum, a medium height shrub layer, and a <br />herbaceous grass and forb layer (Savage and Savage, 1996, Savage and Savage 1996a). <br />' This community is the most dominant vegetation type in the vicinity of the study area, <br />and is also the most common at this elevation and aspect. Given extended periods of <br />time (approximately 100 yeazs), and an uninterrupted successional sequence, the study <br />area would be expected to return to an oakbrush community. <br />The study azea has been significantly disturbed from its native vegetative condition. At <br />some point during the settlement of the North Fork Valley, this terrace area was <br />cleared of the native oakbrush vegetation, presumably for homesteads, pastures, <br />' agricultural fields, or a combination of all three uses. Several small areas on the <br />terrace have been cleared, the study area representing the lazgest. The furthest east <br />clearing retains artifacts of a homestead, while the western clearings indicate use as <br />' agricultural fields or pastures. The clearings are clearly visible in aerial photographs of <br />the area and were present prior to the USGS aerial photographic mapping which <br />occurred in 1963. <br />Currently the study area reflects vegetative conditions characteristic of a phmted pasture <br />or hay field. The vegetation is dominated by introduced graminoid species, <br />characteristic of seeded forage grasses. There is no evidence of irrigation within the <br />study azea, though a small stock pond has been constructed in the southeast corner of <br />the study area. The stock pond water is ephemeral in nature and dependent on snow <br />' melt and surface runoff from the hillside above the study area to supply the stock pond <br />