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l INTERIP: DE <br />UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />Soil Conservation Service, Colorado <br />Technical Guide January 1976 <br />Section II E <br />Riverbottom, 235 Type Description and Guide <br />This description and guide is to be used in MLRAs 34, 35, 48 and 51. <br />It covers native grazing lands in all cottonwood woodland class <br />I designations, <br />J The potential natural vegetation is classified as Type 235 Cottonwood- <br />Willow in Forest Cover Types in North America Society of American <br />Foresters, 1954, <br />Understory Plant Communities <br />The plant species composition is highly variable. Successionally it <br />is a subclimax stage of the hydrosere or a "post-climax" association <br />(F. E. Clements). This type occupies the more mature flood-plains of <br />1 the Green, Yampa, White, Colorado, Dolores, Uncompahgre, Gunnison, La <br />J Plata, San Juan, Rio Grande and other major streams and tributaries. <br />Elevations are generally below 7000 feet. For conservation planning <br />purposes, this type will not include the very narrow streambottoms a[ <br />higher elevations. <br />Total annual production varies greatly. The understory canopy cover, <br />periodic flooding, sediment, watertable, salinity and soils create <br />significant variability in the nature of [he plant communities. There- <br />fore determination of annual production of grazable plants and initial <br />l stocking rates must be made on site a[ the time land users are assisted <br />J with resource planning. <br />Forage Preference Rating of Plant Species <br />Grasses and Grasslike <br />' Preferred <br />Alkali sacaton <br />' Western wheatgrass <br />Basin wildrye <br />Canada wildrye <br />' Slender wheatgrass <br />Quackgrass <br />Indian ricegrass <br />Alkali bluegrass <br />' Kentucky bluegrass <br />JJeedle-and-thread <br />Introduced pasture grasses <br />Desirable <br />Sedges <br />Saltgrass <br />Redtop <br />Bluejoint reedgrass <br />Baltic rush <br />Nuttall alkaligrass <br />Squirrel tail <br />Sand dropseed <br />Undesirable <br />' •• Based on estimated overall value for cattle <br />Foxtail barley <br />Scratchgrass <br />Sleepygrass <br />Adjust for sheep. <br />I 2 (d} <br />