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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE <br />SECTION II-E <br />A. <br />RANGE SITE DESCRIPTION <br />COLORADO FIELD OFFICE <br />Site Name: Salt Meadow #35 <br />Site Number: 067XY035CO <br />072XY035CO <br />MLRA: 67 & 72 <br />Date Approved: October, 1989 <br />PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br />1. Physiogranhic Features <br />Topography is nearly level to gently rolling. Elevation ranges <br />from 3350 to 6000 feet. The landscape has .a typical lowland <br />meadow appearance. <br />2. Climatic Features <br />a. Precipitation averages 11 to is inches annually. From <br />75 to 80 percent of the precipitation is received between <br />May and October. High intensity summer storms followed by <br />hot, dry, windy periods are common. Additional runoff <br />moisture from adjacent areas or watertable soils provides <br />more production that can be expected from rainfall on this <br />site. <br />Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec <br />0.4 0.4 0.8 1.4 2.5 2.5 2.3 1.8 1.3 0.8 0.4 0.4 <br />b. Average annual temperature is approximately 500F. Length <br />of the frost free period averages about 130 to 160 days <br />and occurs from the middle of May through the end of <br />September. <br />3• Native (Climax potential) vegetation <br />a. The potential plant community is about 80 to 90 percent <br />grasses, 5 to 10 percent forbs and 5 to 10 percent shrubs. <br />Alkali sacaton is the dominant plant in the potential <br />plant community. Switchgrass, western wheatgrass; prairie <br />cordgrass, inland sa.ltgrass, alkali bluegrass, Baltic rush <br />and Nebraska sedge are also prominent. Canada wildrye, <br />little bluestem, slender wheatgrass, big bluestem, other <br />sedges and rushes, American licorice and fourwing saltbush <br />may be present in small amounts. Cottonwood and willow of <br />river bottoms often form bordering plant communities to <br />this site and occasionally cottonwood or willow may be <br />seen on a soil inclusion associated with this site.