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robust growth of the previous summer was evident everywhere. Not until December did moisture <br />increase, but even then it lagged behind average. <br />Status of Grazing Issue: In May the court heard the appeal by the grazing lessee and denied <br />continued presence on the land. Mr. Pancost was given 30 days to vacate the property and by the end <br />of June most of the cattle were gone as well as his facilities. With the removal of the cattle and the <br />abundant moisture deep in the soil, all of the vegetation responded dramatically. Even the <br />needlegrasses that were rarely seen north of Section 36 (near the Elbert County line) produced <br />tremendous growth in 2007 and undoubtedly produced a great deal of seed. Blue grama stood a foot <br />or more tall. Although the cheatgrass was still evident throughout the site, it was not a major part of <br />the vegetation as it had been in 2005 and 2006. In fact, in some areas, the cheatgrass was being out <br />competed by blue grama and the needlegrasses. <br />In the stream corridor, within three weeks after removal of grazing the dramatic difference <br />between the vegetation inside and outside the exclosures almost vanished. Now, in many places, only <br />the presence of the fence marked the boundary. Woody plants outside the exclosure recovered <br />considerably, but even into the end of the season, woody plants inside the exclosures remained more <br />prominent than those outside the exclosures. But compared to 2006, when woody plants outside the <br />exclosure were generally sparse and had to actively be looked for when viewed from a distance, the <br />lazger leaves and increased growth of woody plants outside the exclosures was apparent. Still, <br />though, there was a difference in the woody vegetation even though the herbaceous growth had <br />essentially equalized. <br />In essence, the removal of the cattle produced a dramatic and almost instantaneous response <br />in the vegetation with strong growths in all habitats. However, the dramatic response was not due <br />only to the removal of the cattle. Even if the cattle had remained there would have been some <br />improvement in the herbaceous and perhaps in the woody vegetation because it was a wet growth <br />year. Based upon what was seen this yeaz, it is likely that after a few more years without grazing <br />pressure the vegetation may well shift back toward anon-grazing assemblage of species. Bamng any <br />major droughts, in a few yeazs it will be hard to tell that grazing ever occurred. Nevertheless, the <br />more subtle, long term effects of prolonged grazing and over-grazing will continue for decades. Until <br />the amount of blue grama present in the current community is mostly replaced with needlegrasses <br />and bluestems one cannot say that the vegetation will have completely recovered. In the "climax" <br />vegetation for this site type, blue grama should not be a major component. Currently, it is still the <br />clear dominant grass in all of the uplands and some of the lowlands. In the lowlands, western <br />wheatgrass is dominant in sunny areas, but the introduced bromegrass remains the dominant in the <br />forested and streamside areas. As will be discussed, that bromegrass dominance is not necessarily a <br />bad characteristic even though it is clearly unnatural. <br />Report Coal Creek Wetland Mitigation Permit DA 198811488 Page 2 <br />