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3.0 Wetland Delineation <br />3.1 Wetland Delineation and Classification Methods <br />This assessment was designed to evaluate the ecological conditions and characteristics of the project <br />site to identify wetlands and other surface waters that may be claimed as jurisdictional by federal <br />and /or state agencies. Before field investigations, desk -top preliminary data was collected and <br />reviewed. Typically, National Wetland Inventory (NWI) mapping is a useful off -site tool in <br />identifying the possible presence of wetlands. Unfortunately, NWI has not yet mapped most of <br />Colorado, including the area of interest. Data available included aerial photography, topographical <br />data, soils data, and natural community data. Field investigations were conducted during the week of <br />October 5 -9, 2009 by Barr to identify and delineate jurisdictional wetland boundaries on the <br />property. Though slightly past the growing season, all vegetation was identifiable, and a hard freeze <br />had not yet occurred that could have altered hydrological conditions. Ambient temperatures during <br />the week of field activities generally ranged from overnight lows in the low -30s to daytime highs in <br />the high -60s. <br />The delineation was conducted according to the Routine On -Site Determination Method specified in <br />the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual (1987 Edition) and the Interim <br />Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Western Mountains, <br />Valleys, and Coast Region (2008). Over the course of five days of field reconnaissance, the entire <br />project site was traversed on foot and by vehicle and inspected for the presence of wetlands. The <br />gulch area in particular was investigated for wetland conditions, as it was presumed that precipitation <br />would concentrate and funnel through this area more so than steep mountainsides. <br />In determining the jurisdictional wetland boundaries, the three jurisdictional wetland qualifiers, <br />wetland hydrology, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydric soils were examined as evidence of wetland <br />presence or absence. Wetlands and adjacent upland data on hydrology, vegetation, and soils were <br />recorded in Wetland Determination Data Form — Western Mountain, Valleys, and Coast Region data <br />sheets, which are included in Appendix B. The wetland boundaries were marked with sequentially - <br />numbered wetland delineation flagging tape. Their locations were recorded using a Trimble Global <br />Positioning System with sub -meter accuracy. The wetland boundaries were mapped using ArcMap <br />9.0 Geographic Information System software. Photo documentation of each wetland is provided in <br />Appendix A. <br />7 <br />