Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R035XY012UT
Semiwet Saline Streambank (Fremont Cottonwood)
Accessed: 04/14/2026
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Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
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Figure 1. Mapped extent
Areas shown in blue indicate the maximum mapped extent of this ecological site. Other ecological sites likely occur within the highlighted areas. It is also possible for this ecological site to occur outside of highlighted areas if detailed soil survey has not been completed or recently updated.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub (1) Salix exigua
Herbaceous (1) Sporobolus airoides
Physiographic features
This site occurs on valley bottoms, inset fans and low lying terraces adjacent to live streams and rivers.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Valley floor
(2) Inset fan
(3) Terrace
Elevation 4000 – 4800 ft Slope 0 – 1 % Water table depth 20 – 60 in Climatic features
Average annual precipitation is 6 to 12 inches. Approximately 77% occurs as rain from March through October. On the average, February, May and June are the driest months and August, September and October are the wettest months. The mean annual air temperature is 11-13 degrees celsius and the soil temperatures are in the mesic regime. The average freeze-free period is 160 to 220 days. This site is frequently flooded and has a watertable. These factors over-ride climate as a controlling factor. This site occurs primarily in the semidesert and desert climatic zones. In average years, plants begin growth around March 20 and end growth around October. Optimum growth on cool season plants occurs in May. Warm season plants make their optimum growth in July and August.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 0 days Freeze-free period (average) 220 days Precipitation total (average) 10 in BarLineFigure 2. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
Soil features
Characteristic soils in this site are deep and somewhat poorly drained. They formed in alluvium derived mainly from mixed parent materials. Soils contain 4 to 16 mmhos/cm of salt and have a water table at a depth of 20 to 60 inches during most of the plant growing season. Soils are flooded during spring runoff and frequently as the result of intense summer convection storms. Average annual soil loss in potential is approximately 0.1 tons/acre.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Drainage class Somewhat poorly drained Soil depth 40 – 60 in Ecological dynamics
As ecological condition deteriorates due to overgrazing, alkali sacaton and coyote willow decrease while salt cedar and rubber rabbitbrush increase to dominate the site. Cheatgrass and annual weeds are most likely to invade this site.
State and transition model
More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective textEcosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Reference StateCommunity 1.1
Reference StateThe dominant aspect of the plant community is fremont cottonwood and sandbar willow. The composition by air-dry weight is approximately 60 percent perennial grasses, 5 percent forbs, 35 percent shrubs, and 5 percent trees.
Figure 4. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Table 5. Annual production by plant type
Plant type Low
(lb/acre)Representative value
(lb/acre)High
(lb/acre)Grass/Grasslike 510 750 1050 Shrub/Vine 298 438 613 Tree 43 63 88 Forb 43 63 88 Total 894 1314 1839 Table 6. Ground cover
Tree foliar cover 10-10% Shrub/vine/liana foliar cover 30-30% Grass/grasslike foliar cover 50-50% Forb foliar cover 0-10% Non-vascular plants 0% Biological crusts 0% Litter 0% Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" 0% Surface fragments >3" 0% Bedrock 0% Water 0% Bare ground 0% Table 7. Canopy structure (% cover)
Height Above Ground (ft) Tree Shrub/Vine Grass/
GrasslikeForb <0.5 – – – – >0.5 <= 1 – – – 4-6% >1 <= 2 – – 49-51% – >2 <= 4.5 – – – – >4.5 <= 13 – 29-31% – – >13 <= 40 – – – – >40 <= 80 9-11% – – – >80 <= 120 – – – – >120 – – – – Additional community tables
Table 8. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Tree0 Dominant Trees 13–65 Shrub/Vine0 Domiant shrubs 273–390 narrowleaf willow SAEX Salix exigua 195–260 – Fremont cottonwood POFR2 Populus fremontii 13–65 – rubber rabbitbrush ERNA10 Ericameria nauseosa 39–65 – Fremont cottonwood POFR2 Populus fremontii 39–65 – 3 Sub-Dominant Shrubs 143–364 Shrub (>.5m) 2SHRUB Shrub (>.5m) 65–130 – fourwing saltbush ATCA2 Atriplex canescens 13–39 – Emory's baccharis BAEM Baccharis emoryi 13–39 – Nevada jointfir EPNE Ephedra nevadensis 13–39 – skunkbush sumac RHTRT Rhus trilobata var. trilobata 13–39 – greasewood SAVE4 Sarcobatus vermiculatus 13–39 – littleleaf horsebrush TEGL Tetradymia glabrata 13–39 – Grass/Grasslike0 Dominant Grasses 520–780 alkali sacaton SPAI Sporobolus airoides 325–455 – saltgrass DISP Distichlis spicata 130–195 – Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherum hymenoides 65–130 – 1 Sub-Dominant Grasses 182–416 Grass, annual 2GA Grass, annual 65–130 – Grass, perennial 2GP Grass, perennial 65–130 – clustered field sedge CAPR5 Carex praegracilis 13–39 – squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 13–39 – common reed PHAU7 Phragmites australis 13–39 – Forb2 Sub-Dominant Forbs 286–728 Forb, annual 2FA Forb, annual 65–130 – Forb, perennial 2FP Forb, perennial 65–130 – flatspine bur ragweed AMAC2 Ambrosia acanthicarpa 13–39 – annual ragweed AMAR2 Ambrosia artemisiifolia 13–39 – white sagebrush ARLU Artemisia ludoviciana 13–39 – silverleaf milkvetch ASAR4 Astragalus argophyllus 13–39 – silverscale saltbush ATAR2 Atriplex argentea 13–39 – meadow thistle CISC2 Cirsium scariosum 13–39 – Canadian horseweed COCA5 Conyza canadensis 13–39 – yellow blanketflower GAFL Gaillardia flava 13–39 – scarlet gilia IPAGA3 Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. aggregata 13–39 – woolly plantain PLPA2 Plantago patagonica 13–39 – scarlet globemallow SPCO Sphaeralcea coccinea 13–39 – Pursh seepweed SUCA2 Suaeda calceoliformis 13–39 – Interpretations
Animal community
This site provides proper grazing for cattle and sheep during spring, summer, and fall.
This site is valuable for most species of wildlife due to the variety of grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees and the interspersion of this vegetation with other range sites, which, in turn, provides a great diversity and abundance of food and cover. It provides valuable habitat for pheasants, mule deer, quail, elk, moose, squirrels, rabbits, coyotes, eagles, hawks, woodpeckers, wading birds, and numerous songbirds.
Hydrological functions
Soils in this site are grouped mainly into c hydrologic group. They have moderately high runoff potential. When the vegetation is in climax (potential), the hydrologic curves are 75 to 72.
Recreational uses
This site has good values for aesthetics and natural beauty. It has a large number of forbs and shrubs which have flowers in bloom from early spring throughout the summer and into the fall. It has a combination of grasses, forbs, small shrubs, large shrubs, and trees which offer excellent possibilities for screen and high value as camping and picnicking areas. Hunting for upland game birds, cottontail rabbits, elk, and mule deer is good to excellent on this site. Fishing is opportune on streams through this site. Summer homes are a possibility on this site, but detailed on-site investigation should be made to determine feasibility of the soils for septic tanks and sewage disposal facilities when specific locations are tentatively planned for summer homes or other building sites. Due to the high water table, sewage disposal is extremely difficult.
Wood products
Some values exist for fence posts and fuel for fireplaces and campfires.
Supporting information
Other references
Modal Soil: Typic Haplaquepts
Contributors
Unknown
Rangeland health reference sheet
Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.
Author(s)/participant(s) Contact for lead author Date Approved by Approval date Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on Annual Production Indicators
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Number and extent of rills:
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Presence of water flow patterns:
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Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
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Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
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Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
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Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
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Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
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Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
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Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
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Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
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Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
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Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):
Dominant:
Sub-dominant:
Other:
Additional:
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Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
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Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
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Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
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Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:
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Perennial plant reproductive capability:
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