REP12921

• Permit No: C1983058
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 10/26/2007
• Doc Name: Revegetation Report
• From: Sandy Brown
• To: Kent Gorham
• Permit Index Doc Type: Reveg Monitoring Report
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

2007 Data
Conditions were considerably better in 2007 than in 2006 with respect to precipitation and to
grazing. Precipitation was higher for the months previous to sampling and grazing had not
occurred on the reclaimed areas. Both of these improved factors resulted in much higher values
for cover and production on the reclaimed portal area and at the loadout. Attached Tables 7
through 10 provide the 2007 data for cover and production.
At the portal area vegetative cover in 2007 was 30.3%. Grasses contributed 52.6% of the
relative cover, shrubs were 33.7% relative cover, forbs 5.9% of the relative cover and sub-shrubs
5.9% relative cover. The dominant grasses were two cool season species western wheatgrass and
smooth brome. Contributing warm season grasses were: blue grama grass, sideoats grama and
red three awn. The overall dominant plant was the shrub Rubber rabbitbrush representing 33.2%
of the relative cover. Broom snakeweed was the predominant sub-shrub. Forbs provided 7.7%
of the relative cover with white horehound and field bindweed the most prevalent. Although
some weeds, including field bindweed were present they were minor contributors to the total
plant cover. Weeds were not considered a problem. Herbaceous production at the portal area
was 867.5 pounds per acre. Vegetative cover and production were very successful at the portal
area in 2007.
The Twin Pines loadout area had 39.8% total vegetative cover in 2007. This is nearly double the
cover value from 2006. Precipitation was higher and cattle were not grazing prior to the
vegetation sampling effort. This seems to have had a very positive impact on the cover from
2006 which was only 20.6%. The dominant single species was Rubber rabbitbrush which
contributed 30.6% of the relative cover. Shrubs as a life form accounted for 32.3% of the
relative cover. Grasses contributed 30.2% to the relative cover. Blue grama grass was the
dominant grass contributing 12.8% of the relative cover. Other contributing grasses were
western wheatgrass, red three awn and sand dropseed. Forbs contributed 10.3% of the relative
cover and included: white horehound, storksbill and field bindweed. Broom snakeweed, the
only sub-shrub contributed 1.9% to the relative cover value. Noxious weeds were a very minor
component of the total cover and did not present a problem. Production on the loadout was
949.3 pounds per acre. This is 778 pounds per acre more than in 2006.
In 2007 production at both the portal and at the loadout exceeded the standard of 200 pounds of
air dry herbage per year.
Species Composition
During the two years of sampling thirty-nine species were observed comprised of four shrub
species, three sub-shrubs, sixteen grass species, and seventeen forb species. The overall most
dominant plant at the portal and at the loadout both years was Rubber rabbitbrush. This native
species was one of the few species established at the site in the early 1980's and it reestablished
on the reclaimed areas from native seed; it was not included in the seed mix. This shrub
provides good browse for wildlife.
Of the grasses twelve are native species and four are introduced species. The prevalent grasses
are western wheatgrass, a native cool season grass and smooth brome, an introduced cool season
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