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Gunnison River Gravel Pits <br />DMG 6.4.9 and 6.4.10 <br />Exhibits I - Soils and J -Vegetation <br />Grand Junction Pipe and Supply, Inc. <br />INTRODUCTION <br />Five pit sites were visited on two occasions in February 2009 by Bill Clark, Biologist and Ed <br />Settle, Grand Junction Pipe. The purposes of the visits were to verify vegetation communities, <br />soils, make incidental wildlife observations, and observe landscape setting of the Gunnison River <br />Gravel Pits (GRGP) and surrounding vicinity, and to describe these resources as required by <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology regulations pertaining to the extraction of sand and <br />gravel. <br />Pits are located on the first terrace above the Gunnison River and 100 year floodplain on point <br />bar side of stream meanders. The river corridor and resulting riparian vegetation community <br />with Green River and similar soils is rather narrow in the canyon setting. Beyond the west or left <br />descending stream bank a narrow and sometimes non-existent riparian zone is tightly contained <br />by toe slopes of extremely dry colluviums ranging in particle size from silt to large, sedimentary <br />rock boulders originating from the west canyon escarpment. <br />The objectives of this report are to document soil and vegetation communities and features in the <br />Gunnison River Gravel Pits (GRGP) disturbed areas. Specifically, <br />Confirm Natural Resource Conservation Service (MRCS 2009a, 2009b) public domain <br />data and reports regarding soil texture and other factors; and, <br />Observe current vegetation condition, diversity and structure including estimates of <br />height and density density (Terry and Chilingar 1955). <br />METHOD <br />Information for Exhibits I and J is based on two site visits in February 2009 and review of public <br />domain information from the US Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service <br />and other public domain sources. <br />RESULTS <br />Soil <br />Soils are mapped to the lowest taxonomic level by Natural Resource Conservation Service <br />(MRCS) and for purposes of this report are Established Series (NRCS 2009b). Nine established