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Total cover ranged from 30 to 75 percent, and potential productivity is <br />• estimated to range from 700 to 1500 pounds per acre. <br />Wet meadow communities occur primarily along the flood plain of the Yampa <br />River but are found at scattered small sites along the drainage bottoms. This <br />community comprises less than one percent of the study area. Soils are pri- <br />marily deep, dark, fine loamy cryaquent cumulic cryaquolls exhibiting stratified <br />development. <br />During vegetative surveys in 1977, dominance, cover, and productivity were <br />difficult or impossible to determine as cattle had heavily grazed this type; and <br />most of it was under water (the Yampa was in flood stage at the time of survey). <br />Bluegrasses, sedges, and dandelions appeared to be the dominant vegetation. <br />Productivity in this type of community has been estimated on the basis of SCS <br />data to range from 1500 to 2500 pounds per acre. <br />• <br />Cottonwood communites occur with wet meadow communities and along river <br />banks. This type occupies less than one percent of the study area and exhibits <br />the same soil properties as wet meadow. <br />The overstory dominant is narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia) <br />which occasionally reaches heights of 100 feet. The understory shrub stratum is <br />very sparse (less than 5 percent cover).. Species noted in this stratum include: <br />willow (Salix sp.), hawthorne (Crataegus sp.), skunk bush, and gooseberry (Ribes <br />sp.). The herbaceous stratum is much the same as wet meadow; however, it, too, <br />was under water at the time of this survey. <br />Portions of the study area (mapped as "Disturbed") had been previously <br />mined and revegetated. These revegetated areas (shown on the vegetation Map 6, <br />• approximately 5 percent of the area) had been planted to yellow sweetclover <br />- 130 - (Rev. 5/86) <br />