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X. EXHIBIT J - VEGETATION INFORMATION <br />At the time of preparation of this application, much of the existing site vegetation <br />for the proposed expansion area consisted primarily of overgrazed and ungrazed pasture <br />grasses and annual weeds, and fallow cropland with no vegetation present. In addition, <br />Savage and Savage identified three representative localized vegetation communities: 1) a <br />meadow vegetation community; 2) a wet meadow vegetation community; and 3) fringe <br />vegetation along a tailwater irrigation ditch. <br />The meadow vegetation community described is dominated by herbaceous <br />vegetation with no trees or shrubs. Wheatgrass dominates with small inclusions of <br />cattail, coyote willow, spikerush and blowoutgrass. The wet meadow vegetation <br />community described includes meadow foxtail, spikerush and smartweed with a number <br />of ruderal species such as prickly lettuce, bindweed, thistle and clover, to name several. <br />The fringe vegetation community along the irrigation ditch includes meadow foxtail, <br />spikerush, knotweed, inland salt grass and three-square. Very few trees exist on the <br />expansion area parcels. <br />As part of this amendment application process, a jurisdictional wetlands <br />delineation was performed by Savage and Savage Environmental. That delineation is <br />described in detail and included in Exhibit G. Identified wetlands included two wet <br />meadow communities along the edge of the McCann Ditch, which were concluded to be <br />man-induced as consequence of irrigation tailwater flow from upgradient adjacent <br />agricultural fields. This conclusion resulted in a determination that the wetlands were <br />non jurisdictional. <br />Nonetheless, Terry McKee of USACE was invited to view the ditch wetlands and <br />confirm the determination. According to Mr. McKee, jurisdictional wetlands at the site <br />that will be affected by mining are limited to those associated with the existing McCann <br />Ditch corridor, appeared to be less than 0.5 acres in extent, and that the ditch could most <br />likely be relocated under a Nationwide 46 Permit. These wetlands will be mapped and the <br />area calculated to confirm Mr. McKee's assessment. Following confirmation of the <br />acreage, the applicant plans to obtain the Nationwide 46 Permit prior to relocating the <br />ditch. <br />47