2010-12-30_PERMIT FILE - P2010026 (4)

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The representative Piceance fine sandy loam sample site was located approximately • 1,584 feet east, 898 feet south of the NW corner of Section 4, T2S, R98W. The landscape at the sample site was a 4% slope with a northeast aspect. Vegetation included big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, prickly pear, and a variety of mixed grasses. The surface was stable with no visible evidence of disturbance or erosion. Typically, the "A" horizon surface layer is brown fine sandy loam approximately 4 inches thick. The upper 5 inches of the subsoil is brown loam with 5% fine channery fragments, and the lower 13 inches is light yellowish brown loam with 10% channery fragments. The substratum is very pale brown channery light loam approximately 8 inches thick with about 25 to 35% channery fragments and visible calcium carbonate in seams and soft masses. Hard sandstone underlies Piceance at a depth of approximately 30 inches. Depth to sandstone ranges from 20 to 40 inches. In some areas the surface layer is loam or sandy loam. Runoff is slow to medium, and the hazard of water erosion is moderate to high. Piceance meets criteria for HEL Wind and HEL Water in map unit 75 but not in map unit 64. Redcreek sandy loam (in Map Unit 70) is a shallow, well drained soil mapped on ridges and hillslopes. These soils formed in residual and eolian material derived from calcareous sandstone. The native vegetation is mainly pinyon pine and juniper trees with an understory of shrubs and mixed grasses. Redcreek is classified as a "Loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Lithic Ustic Torriorthents". Redcreek occurs as a major component of the Redcreek-Rentsac complex in map unit 70, comprising approximately 60% of the soils in the Rentsac-Piceance complex (Soil Survey Staff 2009b). Other soils series that may occur within this map unit includes the Forelle, Rentsac, and Yamac series. By using this percentage estimate, we can assume that approximately 8 acres of Redcreek soils occur in map unit 70 within the study area. The representative Redcreek sample site was located approximately 586 feet east, 1,992 feet south of the NW corner of Section 4, T2S, R98W. The landscape at the sample site was a 6% slope with a southwest aspect. Vegetation included primarily pinyon pine and juniper trees, prickly pear, with a sparce understory of shrubs and mixed grasses, including Indian ricegrass and beardless wheatgrass. Void of significant vegetative cover, the soil surface was largely exposed and the sandy loam was loose. However, there was no visible evidence of significant disturbance or erosion. Redcreek typically has an "A" horizon surface layer that is a brown sandy loam approximately 4 inches thick. The transitional "AC" horizon is a brown, calcareous sandy loam approximately 6 inches thick. The underlying "C" horizon substratum is a very pale brown, calcareous channery loam approximately 5 inches thick. Hard sandstone is at a depth of approximately 15 inches, but can range from 10 to 20 inches. • Permeability of Redcreek is moderately rapid, runoff is rapid, and the available water holding capacity is very low. The effective rooting depth is 10 to 20 inches. The hazard 6