Laserfiche WebLink
2: <br />._ -- <br />UNITED STATED DEPARTI~iENT OF AGRICULTORE <br />SOIL CONSERVA7PION SERVICE <br />SECTION II-E <br />-- RANGE SITE DESCRIPTION - <br />ro~rGe / ~~V,~l,~ COLORADO FIELD OFFICE <br />Bite Name: Loamy Foothill #202 <br />o Site Number: 0498Y202C0 <br />S7"k~a+le--/ ~o~4Nr~ ~-9~d~op~ MLRA: 49B <br />(~~L,~ { ~ r~~suz~~~ Date Approved: November 1989 <br />A. PHYBICAL CAARACTERZSTICS <br />1~ pbysioarauh c Features <br />Topography varies from rolling hills to narrow valleys to <br />large open flats. Slopes generally range from nearly level to <br />20 percent. Elevation ranges from 5000 to 7000 feet. <br />2. Climatic Features <br />a. Precipitation averages 12 to 17 inches annually with 60 <br />to 70 percent falling during the growing season. The <br />amount of snowfall averages 50 inches annually. Snows <br />during March-and April can amount to significazit <br />moisture in some years. Early spring snows and high <br />intensity summer thunderstorms followed by hot, dry <br />periods are a common occurrence. <br />Jan, Fab Liar Apr Hay Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec <br />0.4 0.6 1.0 J..7 2.2 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.3 0.9 0.7 0.4 <br />b. The optimum growing season for the major forage species <br />is spring and early summer. Cool season plants begin <br />growth approximately April 1 and the warm season plants <br />begin growth May 1 and after. The, length of the growing <br />season range from 124 to 150 days with average frost <br />dates occurring on May 1~ and October 1. The average <br />annual temperature is 49 F with the hottest temperatures <br />occurring during the months of July and August. <br />3. Native tClimax Potentials Vegetation <br />a. The plant community is about 75 to 85 percent grasses, 10 <br />to 15 percent fortis and 5 to 10 percent shrubs. This <br />site has a rolling grassland aspect with mid-grasses <br />dominating. Western wheatgrass, and Green needlegrass <br />dominate the plant community and produce about 50. <br />percent or more of the climax vegetation. Plants such <br />as blue grama, prairie junegrass, sun sedge, bottleb~ush <br />squirreltail, Indian ricegrass, big bluestem, Griffith <br />wheatgrass, drummond milkvetch, and fringed sagebrush <br />are secondary in the plant community. <br />~~ <br />