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Colorado Plateau eco-regions converge. Due to past and current land management practices, <br />current diversity of significant wildlife is relatively low compared to the surrounding 1011. <br />Reasons include a narrow canyon with a railroad on the cast side and a wide, harsh valley on the <br />west dominated by toe slopes comprised of colluviums ranging in size from silt to boulders the <br />size of a mini-van. <br />r .•1? ? ? <br />? : ? ..>,e,r . <br />,??Y <br />mo <br />.?i <br />1??,yr??tw <br />iY?- ? . . <br />w. <br /> <br />,1 ?t.AAf-y <br />ss <br />1fy !`!?Wt??tL tY h yw.. <br />71 <br /> <br />C». ]??r, 044 <br /> - <br />w «...i.? a .,,t.,.} ?. - sy tt I 1 <br />. u•11t? : r - .`. ,i?. t. <br />.. <br />, <br /> <br />a <br />f C <br />3. <br />lf <br />.? t .. <br />r'p <br />""'? <br />7` <br />lt <br />y?'f? <br />S - <br />•? <br />?s1 <br />? <br />• ? yi <br />?? <br />? <br />? <br />. <br />r?. ? <br />_ <br />,?'?. <br />t;? <br />..I <br />iy ..:ti ?. Y 1: .., <br /> <br />. ??- ?'? ?. k _ A ' ACV . r ? M a.. f i?R ?Cit•3 ... . t <br />Photo 1, Pit 4. Shrubs in mid-photo are salt cedar (Tanufrrsk spp.). <br />The blade and clearing work appears to have failed with disturbed areas devoid of all surface <br />layer topsoil. grasses and forts. In some pits remnant, low (=> 18") shrub layers remain, in others <br />a layer (5(,'i' cover) of medium height ( 18"-48") shrubs remain. Most low to medium height <br />shrubs exhibited heavy grazing by cattle. Remnant, mature cottonwood trees remain from what <br />were likely dense, un-even aged galleries. Resulting wildlife values and diversity are greatly <br />reduced from undisturbed levels. <br />Near absence of nude deer sign is likely due to the mild weather conditions and better habitat <br />west in Cactus Park above the escarpments forming the south valley wall. A resident mule deer <br />population, it present, IS quite low in number. <br />Gunnison River Gravel Pit W'Ildlife Information