2009-03-11_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - M1977151 (8)

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a r i i i i+rsrr UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Soil Conservation Service-..- Colorado Technlcai'Guide'-. RANGE SITE NO. 31 Section II E, - Field Office r 4, . ,.. g • August 1975 WIGE 'SiTE DESCRIPTION " for Land Resource Area: Central High Plains (67) Central High Tableland ,(72) A. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS- .1. Physiographic Features Elevation is about 5000 feet. Topography is nearly level to gently sloping. Surface may be smooth or there may be minor undulations. This site often occupies the first bench between the streambed and higher sandy land. it.may also be found in a few sandy valleys and drainageways where there Is.some effect from extra moisture. 2. Climatic Features ' High intensity summer storms and hot-dry periods between storms are common.- The effect-of the semi-arid climate is offset to some extent t? by a'slightly to moderately effective water.table or by occasional flood1ng,•or.b6th:•.The average annual precipitation is from 13 to 17.Inches with 75 to 80$ falling from April.to September. Optimum growing'season..of,'native. plants is late spring and summer. :3.. Native (potential) Vegetation The vegetation has a definite tall grass appearance, dominated by switchgrass,•lndian grass,•pralrie sandweed and sand bluestem, with smaller-amounts of various midgrasses such as side-oats grama, little bluestem, needle-and-thread, and Canada wildrye are scattered through- out. Tall dropseed, sand dropseed, sedges, inland saltgrass, pere- nnial forbs, and western wheatgrass may make up about 20% of the vegetative composition. The ground cover is uniform with no bare spots. The optimum ground cover Is about 40$. Litter is abundant in and between the plants with several inches of the topsoil darkened by organic matter. Cottonwood trees may occur occasionally on this site. Y