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EXHIBIT J (Cont'd) <br /> <br />the majority of the area that will be affected. Dominated <br />by a dense growth of Tall Wheatgrass (Agropyron elongatum), <br />the area has the appearance of a tall grass prairie. In <br />places, the Tall Wheatgrass reaches a height of as much as <br />six feet, but usually is three to four feet. Because of its <br />low palatability, cattle do not eat very much of it, and <br />therefore it remains all winter, providing emergency food for <br />wildlife, a catchment for snowfall and protection from wind <br />erosion. Mixed with the Tall Wheatgrass is Desert Saltgrass, <br />Alkali Sacaton, and a small amount of Agropyron smithii <br />(Western Wheatgrass). <br />Cover in this group averages about 50 percent. Local <br />small areas of Saltgrass achieve 100 percent where salinity is <br />moderate to high. The 50 percent value does not sound like a <br />very high cover value, but the outstanding ability of this <br />tall bunchgrass to control erosion on level land to gentle <br />slopes produces an effective cover in excess of 80 percent. <br />combined with a salt-tolerant, sod-forming grass like Western <br />Wheatgrass or Saltgrass, the final growth will control ero- <br />sion on even moderately steep slopes. <br />Tall Wheatgrass can be found on all soils that occur on <br />the site, but it appears to do best on the Wann sandy loam. <br />Transitional or Ecotonal Communities. <br />The two transitional or ecotonal communities listed <br />below are oddities in that they do not really represent <br />separate communities nor do they seem to be parts of existing <br />If <br />-43- <br />