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2.3 Vegetation Including Wetlands and Riparian Areas 2.3.1 Key Issues Key Issues for Vegetation Resources Include

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2.3 Vegetation Including Wetlands and Riparian Areas 2.3.1 Key Issues Key Issues for Vegetation Resources Include AECOM 2.3-1 2.3 Vegetation Including Wetlands and Riparian Areas 2.3.1 Key Issues Key issues for vegetation resources include: • Temporary and permanent loss of vegetation associated with surface disturbance; • Displacement of native vegetation by noxious and invasive plant species as a result of surface disturbance; • Potential long-term loss of wetlands and riparian areas as a result of groundwater drawdown; and • Potential decrease in plant species diversity within wetland and riparian areas in the long-term as a result of increased soil salinity related to the discharge of groundwater to drainages. 2.3.2 Study Area The study area for vegetation (including wetlands and riparian areas) includes all or portions of Sheridan, Johnson, Campbell, and Converse counties (Figure 1-1). This includes all or portions of 18 subwatersheds (fourth order). It also includes most of the area administered by the BLM Buffalo Field Office, a portion of the area administered by the BLM Casper Field Office, and a portion of the TBNG, which is administered by the FS (Figure 1-2). State and private lands also are included in the study area (Figure 1-3). 2.3.3 Current Conditions The Wyoming PRB study area is characterized as a mosaic of general vegetation types, which include prairie grasslands, shrublands, forested areas, and riparian areas. These broad categories often represent several vegetation types that are similar in terms of dominant species and ecological importance. Northwest Regional Gap Analysis Project (NWReGAP) resources generated by the USGS were used to identify specific vegetation types within the Wyoming PRB study area. Sixteen vegetation types were identified, of which 12 primarily consist of native vegetation and are collectively classified as rangeland. These rangeland vegetation types include short- and mixed-grass prairie, sagebrush shrubland, saline shrubland, other shrubland, coniferous forest, deciduous forest, aspen, stabilized dunelands, forested riparian, herbaceous riparian, wet meadow, and wetland/fen. The remaining vegetation types support limited or non-native vegetation and include agricultural, urban/disturbed, barren, and open water. Figure 2.3-1 shows the vegetation types within the PRB study area and primarily was derived from NWReGAP data. 2.3.3.1 General Vegetation Table 2.3-1 provides the approximate acreages of pre-disturbance vegetation types present within the Wyoming PRB study area by subwatershed. Tables 2.3-2 and 2.3-3 provide approximate existing cumulative disturbance acreages for each of the vegetation types as a result of past and present development and approximate existing coal mine-related disturbance for each of the vegetation types, respectively, within the subwatersheds in the Wyoming PRB study area. Short- and Mixed-grass Prairie The short- and mixed-grass prairie vegetation community accounted for approximately 31 percent of the pre-disturbance vegetation in the Wyoming PRB study area. This vegetation community is a combination of low, medium, and high herbaceous rangeland types that occur on a wide variety of landforms. Short- and mixed-grass prairie can be divided into several subtypes and is characterized by several common species including needle-and-thread grass (Hesperostipa comata), western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides), prickly pear Task 1D Report December 2012 AECOM 2.3-2 Table 2.3-1 Pre-disturbance Vegetation Types by Subwatershed Vegetation Type (acres) Fen grass grass and - - ubland r Other Shrublands Coniferous Forest Deciduous Forest Aspen Stabilized Dunelands Agricultural Urban/ Disturbed Barren Forested Riparian Herbaceous Riparian Meadow Wet Wetland/ Water Short Subwatersheds Mixed Prairie Sagebrush Shrublands Saline Sh Total1 Antelope Creek 206,134 390,342 2,149 23 6,851 0 0 0 4,138 17,442 8,869 16,025 5,909 0 2,123 100 660,106 Clear Creek 184,523 257,244 2,914 3,556 19,383 426 3,408 0 41,863 7,578 3,944 8,782 9,623 14 548 3,674 547,481 Crazy Woman Creek 160,079 299,375 4,360 3,801 46,445 34 334 0 13,337 3,289 5,424 4,813 5,633 53 871 463 548,309 Dry Fork Cheyenne 111,280 157,993 4,041 14 596 0 0 1,132 9,847 1,947 11,600 6,868 3,188 0 707 135 309,349 Lightning Creek 87,823 188,051 6,252 2 0 0 0 0 11,446 3,956 2,448 5,117 1,875 0 1,118 217 308,303 Little Bighorn River 26,454 865 397 598 8,713 951 4,842 0 6,257 142 3 208 259 0 921 98 50,708 Little Missouri River 19,141 15,444 14 0 1,503 2 0 0 1,794 7 27 643 261 0 221 14 39,071 Little Powder River 385,087 347,408 1,024 21 43,391 3 0 0 37,209 14,152 6,382 10,896 13,966 0 6,018 275 865,832 Middle Fork Powder River 80,498 253,867 9,015 3,384 86,326 26 513 0 10,516 1,510 11,550 940 3,920 70 1,683 182 463,998 Middle North Platte River 54,591 107,226 5,298 0 5 0 0 31,869 940 942 6,602 3,256 1,129 0 434 6 212,299 Middle Powder River 74,902 100,505 336 2 29,569 0 0 0 6,129 351 2,969 5,246 2,401 0 1,633 271 224,313 North Fork Powder River 532 13,920 0 233 5,464 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 11 101 0 20,266 Salt Creek 22,436 112,211 2,803 19 3,032 0 0 0 194 695 7,522 1,767 808 0 196 30 151,712 South Fork Powder River 17,171 74,470 3,143 3,367 7,391 0 0 0 467 707 5,949 403 647 0 515 110 114,338 Upper Belle Fourche River 231,046 491,405 1,741 6 9,034 1 0 0 25,144 49,917 2,127 23,096 5,676 0 5,741 662 845,597 Upper Cheyenne River 58,847 116,038 476 96 3,785 0 0 0 3,385 16,774 2,693 1,705 391 0 2,957 240 207,387 Upper Powder River 297,576 1,154,880 6,495 3 29,275 0 0 0 22,484 12,130 34,670 23,034 19,723 0 2,578 652 1,603,499 Upper Tongue River 397,921 130,715 4,064 10,548 35,561 911 8,397 0 101,930 17,193 2,561 9,860 16,827 57 2,854 752 740,152 Total1 2,416,040 4,211,960 54,521 25,672 336,325 2,355 17,493 33,002 297,080 148,735 115,340 122,657 92,237 205 31,219 7,880 7,912,721 1 Slight differences in totals may occur due to rounding. Source: USGS 2010. Task 1D Report December 2012 2.3-3 X:\0Projects\BLM_PRB_Phase_II_60143410\Figures\DOC\650_Task_1D_Report\Figure_2_3-1_VegCommunities_20121114.mxd R89W R88W R87W R86W R85W R84W R83W R82W R81W R80W R79W R78W R77W R76W R75W R74W R73W R72W R71W R70W R69W T58N Bitter Cr. T58N Prairie T57N Dog Cr. T57N SHERIDAN Spotted Horse Cr. T56N Sheridan COUNTY T56N Little Powder River Clear Cr. Burlington T55N Northern RR. Big Goose Cr. T55N 14/16 T54N Middle Prong T54N Little Goose Cr. 14 Wild Horse Cr. Wild Cat Cr. Cottonwood Cr. T53N T53N Wild Horse Cr. Piney Cr. T52N T52N Rock Cr. Burlington 16 Northern RR. T51N Crazy Woman Cr. Buffalo T51N T50N Gillette T50N Powder River North Fork Crazy Woman Cr. T49N T49N I-90 T48N T48N Fourmile Cr. CAMPBELL Four Horse Cr. Trabing Dry Cr. COUNTY T47N Timber Cr. T47N Pumpkin Cr. 59 T46N JOHNSON T46N South Fork COUNTY T45N Crazy Woman Cr. Belle Fourche River T45N Bacon Cr. I-25 Union Pacific RR. Red Fork North Fork T44N Powder River Powder River Dry Fork Powder River Black Thunder Cr. T44N Bear Trap Cr. Wright Kaycee T43N T43N Little Middle Fork Thunder Cr. Salt Cr. Buffalo Cr.Powder River Porcupine Cr. T42N T42N 387 T41N South Fork T41N Powder River R85W R84W R83W R82W R81W R80W R79W R78W R77W Antelope Cr. T40N T40N T39N T39N CONVERSE COUNTY T38N T38N Dry Cr. Dry Fork Cheyenne River T37N T37N 59 T36N T36N Sage Cr. T35N T35N Legend Vegetation Community Sagebrush Shrublands R76W R75W R74W R73W R72W R71W R70W R69W Agricultural Saline Shrublands Aspen Short- and Mixed-Grass Prairie Barren Stabilized Dunelands Coniferous Forest Urban/Disturbed Deciduous Forest Water WYOMING Forested Riparian Wet Meadow Herbaceous Riparian Wetland/Fen Other Shrublands Vegetation Communities PowderRiver Basin CoalReview Figure 2.3-1 Figure 0 5 10 15 Miles 0 5 10 15 Kilometers Source: USGS 2010. 11/14/2012 AECOM 2.3-4 Table 2.3-2 Existing Cumulative Vegetation Disturbance by Subwatershed 1 Vegetation Type (acres) grass grass and - - 2 Short Coniferous Forest Deciduous Forest Aspen Stabilized Dunelands Agricultural Urban/ Disturbed Barren Forested Riparian Herbaceous Riparian Meadow Wet Wetland/ Fen Water Subwatersheds Mixed Prairie Sagebrush Shrublands Saline Shrubland Other Shrublands Total Antelope Creek 5,510 12,263 95 1 22 0 0 0 182 9,463 1,989 346 142 0 209 58 30,282 Clear Creek 1,444 1,341 40 2 24 0 2 0 426 254 27 103 135 0 1 2,785 6,582 Crazy Woman Creek 892 1,134 27 5 3 0 0 0 98 16 31 12 41 0 0 39 2,298 Dry Fork Cheyenne 1,006 1,484 146 0 0 0 0 1 106 108 106 81 30 0 5 13 3,088 Lightning Creek 1,099 1,903 100 0 0 0 0 0 206 416 16 55 38 0 15 2 3,850 Little Bighorn River 55 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 29 4 0 12 0 0 2 0 107 Little Missouri River 137 96 0 0 1 0 0 0 31 0 0 4 2 0 2 1 275 Little Powder River 9,831 7,685 66 2 173 0 0 0 703 5,532 87 373 356 0 133 51 24,993 Middle Fork Powder River 197 713 20 15 4 0 0 0 20 4 57 3 5 0 7 1 1,045 Middle North Platte River 285 403 23 0 0 0 0 63 3 5 29 4 10 0 2 827 Middle Powder River 2,427 2,986 12 0 309 0 0 0 350 0 81 168 45 0 21 1 6,399 North Fork Powder River 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Salt Creek 133 567 27 0 12 0 0 0 1 6 51 7 3 0 2 0 809 South Fork Powder River 49 429 12 1 53 0 0 0 2 42 49 0 1 0 2 12 653 Upper Belle Fourche River 13,563 21,646 104 2 42 0 0 0 1,574 16,726 356 1,028 245 0 523 405 56,214 Upper Cheyenne River 4,795 6,107 5 29 8 0 0 0 436 13,566 535 62 6 0 587 161 26,295 Upper Powder River 10,114 28,700 80 0 201 0 0 0 1,016 688 1,339 499 582 0 36 4 43,259 Upper Tongue River 6,327 1,871 71 22 107 1 2 0 1,198 494 88 93 353 0 36 9 10,671 2 Total 57,863 89,331 830 79 958 1 4 64 6,380 47,323 4,843 2,852 1,994 0 1,583 3,543 217,647 1 Based on GIS analysis of existing development-related disturbance as of the end of base year 2008 (inclusive of coal mine-related disturbance).
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