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Uinta Basin receives precipitation from storms which originate in the Gulf of Mexico or Pacific <br />Ocean and regularly move through Utah and Colorado. This area is semi -arid with steppe or <br />semi -desert vegetation. Climatology characteristics for the region include light rainfall, low <br />relative humidity, and moderate wind and movement. Strong isolation during the day and rapid <br />nocturnal cooling result in wide daily temperature ranges. <br />Local Climate <br />The climate of the permit area is characteristic of semi -arid steppe regions. The average annual <br />precipitation for the town of Rangely, Colorado, 10 miles west of Deserado, is 10.02 inches. <br />Although snowfall is common for the area, accumulations are generally small and heavy snow <br />cover seldom remains for any length of time. The average winter temperature near Rangely is <br />30.9 degrees F. The mean temperature in the summer months is 62.9 degrees F. Winds are <br />predominantly from the west, but are locally modified by topographic features. <br />Soil Types <br />Soils in the area include the Cushman, Forelle, Pinelli, Potts, Satanka and Worfka series, which <br />are developed on ridge tops, ridge side slopes, and in valley fans. Underdeveloped soils such as <br />Colorado, Haverson alkali phase, Kinnear, Moyerson, Redcreek, Rentsac, and Turley variant <br />occur on low floodplains, extreme ridge tops, and upper ridge side slopes. <br />Soil Characteristics and Distribution <br />Overall, the soils found in the permit area are classified as shallow, light colored loamy to rocky <br />soils of the deserts, primarily members of the Haplorthent Great Group. Surface soils are light <br />colored, indicating lack of organic matter. Their textures range from stoney or gravelly sandy <br />loams to clay loams, depending on the composition of the primary parent material. Subsoils <br />range from sandy loam to clay. It is assumed that these soils can be placed into hydrologic soil <br />groups B or C, which indicates that the infiltration rate is generally moderate to slow. <br />Control of Vegetation Distribution by Climate and Soils <br />At the highest elevations, soils have developed in residuum or local alluvium from sandstone <br />with juniper woodland or juniper - sagebrush vegetation types. Sagebrush is more abundant and <br />more vigorous on deeper, loamier soils in the uplands. Juniper dominates on skeletal, shallow, <br />and generally sandier soils. At lower elevations, soils have developed primarily from alluvium <br />with small areas of Aeolian deposits on ridges. These soils are mostly deep with grasses, <br />sagebrush- grass, or sagebrush - greasewood vegetation types. <br />Vegetation Distribution in Permit Area <br />Eight plant communities have been identified in the permit area to be affected by surface <br />operations and facilities. Vegetation communities consist of juniper woodland, juniper <br />woodland -big sagebrush, big sagebrush, big sagebrush - wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, <br />Colorado wildrye, cheatgrass- annual forb, and big sagebrush - greasewood. <br />21 <br />