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VALLEY OF THE SUN <br />This site is located about one mile west of Fairplay, Colorado, <br />near the South Platte river. The area has been used mostly for <br />recreation and subdivisions. <br />SOILS <br />The soils unit mapped at the Valley of the Sun pit is 22D, <br />This mapping unit consists of shallow, dark, loamy soils. They <br />are gravelly and cobbly on the surface and throughout the pro- <br />file. These soils occur on gently sloping to strongly sloping <br />slopes. They have developed on gravelly and cobbly outwash ma- <br />terials. They take water well, but have a limited water holding <br />capacity because of the high content of gravel and cobble. <br />The elevation ranges from 9,000 to 10,400 feet, the annual <br />precipitation ranges from 12 to 17 inches. <br />Native vegeatation occuring on this site consists of Arizona <br />fescue, Western wheatgrass, blue grama, Junegrass, mountain and <br />slimstem muhly, fringe sage and other forbs. <br />CLIMATIC INFORMATION <br />Annual precipitation averages between 12 to 17 inches. Minimal <br />winter snow cover results in low available moisture for spring <br />and early summer growth of cool season plants. Rains during <br />late July and August appear normal for the Montane climatic <br />zone. <br />Optimum growing season for native plants is 70 to 90 days with <br />a mean annual temperature of 37 to 40 degrees F. <br />NATIVE VEGETATION <br />Aspect of this site is a grassland, however, this becomes a <br />shrub annual grass aspect with a decline in range condition. <br />Arizona-Idaho fescue, western wheatgrass, sedges, rushes, and <br />squireltail are dominant on the site. Other grasses include <br />muttongrass and other native bluegrasses, needle and thread, <br />Indian ricegrass, mountain muhly, Junegrass, blue grama, slim- <br />stem, muhly and three-awn. Forbs inclue phlox, mat penstemon, <br />buckwheat, pussytoes, yarrow, aster, daisy and geranium. Shrubs <br />include fringed sage, winter fat, low rabbitbrush, big sage, <br />tall rabbitbrush, smooth horsebrush, yucca, currant, shrubby <br />potentilla. <br />Naive vegetation found at this site and estimated species <br />composition are: <br />