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<br />-'"'~a~ USDA- Soil Conservation Service
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<br />~~ Section II E,_ _ __-_
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<br />- ~ -r -• ~_ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
<br />_ - 'F ~ SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE
<br />~" _ ' ~ iUie~~, COLORADO FIELD OFFICE
<br />;~ ~~ y ~~ Loamy Plains ll4
<br />~ "•`~' '' `~ Range Site Description
<br />~- ~ ~~~c°~ ~ `~ ~ MLRA 49 5 70
<br />~ _ s ~ ~ - ---_ - July 1981
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<br />~"' ~ A ' PHYSICAL'~bHAB9CTERISTICS
<br />.~ _'. ., 1'. Physiogiaphic" Features
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<br />~ '' 1` "' :• Topography is nearly level to gently rolling. Slopes are not
<br />' ~; -F'. '' r oriented in,aiiy,definable direction and are generally less than ten
<br />`` ~..~ ~' percent hut~may go slightly steeper. Elevation ranges from 5000 to
<br />~~_" ~r >^ 6500+"~feet`(f524 to"1981 meters).
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<br />r~_ ~ ~ '~ 29 Climatic'Feature's'
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<br />*-~` -- },y r"~ a Precipitation averages 14 to 16 inches (36 to 41 cm) annually,
<br />° ~ " r with 25 to SOY of it coming as snow or early spring rains.
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<br />* ,~ " * ;~~ ~ ;,'_ r ~ r Amount.._of anowf all averages 54 inches (137 cm) .
<br />. 1 'G,-3 ~ ~ls;~,~,lb :optimum giowing'season of native plants is April 15 to May for
<br />~~, ,w /~ ~ "~ ,cool season plants"and May for warm season plants. High inten-
<br />"'~°"~ ~ '°~ s,ity~¢ummer`storms followed by hot dry windy periods are a commc
<br />i -. ~ i ;= ;','~ occurrence" The average annual temperature is 52°F (11°C) with I
<br />~. ~${ 1 ". ,^ highest tempe'raturea occurring during June, July and August.
<br />,`r,, ~" ..- ~Lengtti 'of'growing season is 159-181 days with average frost datr~
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<br />"`8 `"° :~_ _:;occurring_May 9 and October 8. There are 27 days that exceed 90•
<br />$,,~ ' (§2°C) and 140 days that are below 32°F (0°C). -
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<br />~~~ ^ ~ 3;~ , Native`(Climax' Potential) Vegetation
<br />~,~,La`~,`` i ;, ~:` a ,,The plant community is about 90-95 percent grasses, 5 to 10
<br />r; percent forbs and 5 to 10 percent shrubs. Blue grams, western
<br />r :-,~ ,'s;" -. wheatgrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, galleta, Junegrass and
<br />- `'" "side-oats grams, make up most of the plant community which totals
<br />60.to.80Y''`Grasses such as buffalograss, three-awn, New Mexico
<br />+' ^` ~ ' ~~ F 'needlegrass, wolfEail, needle-and-thread, sand dropseed and
<br />3"~M " =shrubs_-such as'~winterfat and fringed sage are secondary in the
<br />?',- ~,` ..' .: ,` community_ Small-amounts of ring muhly, plains prickly pear,
<br />;'~ .: \G d~ Missouri'ball cactus, slimflower scurfpea, heath aster, dotted
<br />,~,, ~ '~~ ~ ~gayfeathei; silky sophora,_ silver_bluestem, scarlet globemallow,
<br />r,-. __ _ r -~¢ eurlycup-gumweed;-ironplant goldenweed, upright prairieclover,
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<br />:Y,-~~ ., and wavy-leaf thistle grow in small amounts in scattered distri-
<br />" .~ .~ , s , ~.~; bution :.:.Other--shr-ubs such as small soapweed, green plume
<br />'~- -- - rabliifbrush, ivalkingstick cholla, broom snakeweed, and fourwing
<br />• ~ saltbush,"occur in the community. An occasional one-seed
<br />~.1___ ^ ,:juniger.may occupy this site if adjacent to a break site.
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