Laserfiche WebLink
mottles are present and often abundant, and the water table reaches the surface or near surface on a <br />seasonal basis. <br />In total, 47.9 acres of wetland and 5.5 acres of stock tanks were delineated within the vegetation <br />study area. As previously indicated, the vast majority of these identified wetlands are not targeted for <br />disturbance. The one (and largest) component of development that is known, and is largely fixed (i.e. <br />cannot be moved to avoid wetlands) is the footprint of the eventual pit. Within this area only 0.27 acres <br />of wetlands and 1.37 acres of stock tanks were found and delineated. These total to 1.81 acres or 3% of <br />the delineated wetlands from within study area boundaries. <br />As indicated previously, wetlands within the vegetation study area are expressed in several differing <br />circumstances ranging from relatively large wet meadow complexes occupying over six acres to small <br />meadow pockets immediately below seeps (measured in a few square feet); and from luxuriant <br />streamside herbaceous (and occasionally woody) communities to waterless barren channels. Given the <br />very large wetland complex of the Morgan Creek drainage to the west of the study area, it would appear <br />that the significant downcutting of watercourses throughout the lower elevations of the study area has <br />had an impact (reduction) on historic wetlands in this area. <br />Streamside wetlands form the bulk of the wetland acreage across the study area. Discounting the <br />19.83 acres due to the six larger wetlands, streamside wetlands account for a total of 28.04 acres. Of <br />this value, 3.38 acres is due to narrow linear streamside wetlands typically found higher in the study area <br />watershed. Larger, more "expanded" streamside wetlands typically found lower in the study area occupy <br />a total of 24.66 acres. Because of the 21 or more miles of stream through the study area, the program <br />of "checkpoints" was utilized to systematically document the wetlands along the various reaches. As <br />previously indicated, the upper portions of each drainage where streamside wetlands were typically <br />narrow, "unrecorded" checkpoints were utilized whereby pertinent information was indicated directly on <br />field maps to facilitate eventual interpretation on the high altitude CIR imagery. Such notes included <br />existence of flow, the width's of wetland, composition of the bed, dominant vegetation, etc. The area <br />where "unrecorded" checkpoints were utilized comprised less than 7% of the eventual acreage <br />documented from the study area. <br />These smaller streamside wetlands in the upper watersheds were typically measured as three to <br />four feet in width (both sides combined). Furthermore, the vegetation species observed along these <br />reaches typically exhibited dominance by Carex aquaiitis, Agrosits aiba, Rudbeckia iaciniata, Juncus <br />baiticus, and Prunus virginiana. Soils usually exhibited strong and abundant mottling and dark matrix <br />ccIEDAR CMZK ABSOCUTES, INC. Page 41 2005 Collom Vegetation Survey