REP17538 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

1 Rob Laird Speer Property Preliminary Investigation ' Page 2 Within the property, sub~mergent and emergent types of jurisdictional wetlands were observed. ' Submergent wetlands aze those wetlands which contain vegetation which is rooted on the bottom of a channel and does not grow out of the water. Submergent wetlands were identified within the chaivrel of the South Platte River, and within the areas near the shorelines of the two ponds observed on site. Emergent wetlands are those areas where the vegetation is rooted in a saturated or inundated area and the vegetation emerges from the wet azea. Within the property, emergent jurisdictional wetlands were observed along the base of the upper alluvial terrace in a narrow Swale that trends from southwest to northeast along the edge of the cottonwood woodland. These emergent wetlands are visually dominated by cattails and reed canarygrass. ' The northwest half of tbie property along the South Platte is dominated by an open cottonwood riparian woodland. Old cottonwood trees (Populus deltoides) are found in association with the primary alluvial terrace ofthe South Platte River. Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse Habitat ' The Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) is a federally listed threatened species which generally occurs near wetlands and water bodies. Currently, the ' U.S. Fish and Wildlife ~'~ervice (USFWS) is requiring habitat assessment and/or live- trapping surveys for all projects in potential Preble's habitat. The property was evaluated for potential Preble's habitat, based on the current USFWS guidelines. ' Potential habitat exists along the primary alluvial terrace of the South Platte River within the cottonwood woodland. A number of willow thickets exist along the alluvial terrace which qualify as potentially critical habitat. The areas that aze in hay production along the landing strip along the upper alluvial terrace can be excluded as potentially critical Preble's habitat. ' Ute Ladies-tresses Orchid Habitat ' The Ute ladies-tresses orchid (Spiran[hes diluvialis) is a federally listed threatened plant species chazacteristically found in wet meadows and alluvial flood plains below 6500 feet in northern Colorado, southwestern Wyoming, and the Uintah Basin of Utah. Habitat ' assessments and/or pedestrian surveys during the blooming period are required for sites within the South Platte ]fiver 100 year floodplain and in characteristic habitat which includes areas with a seasonally high water table, wet meadows, stream channels, 1