Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R047XC006UT
Semi-wet Fresh Streambank
(narrowleaf cottonwood)
Accessed: 05/25/2026
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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.
Classification relationships
Modal Soil: Straw CL Moist 2-6% — fine-loamy, mixed Cumulic Haploborolls
Associated sites
R047XC430UT Mountain Loam (mountain big sagebrush)
R047XC462UT Mountain Stony Loam (mountain big sagebrush)
Similar sites
R047XC430UT Mountain Loam (mountain big sagebrush)
R047XC462UT Mountain Stony Loam (mountain big sagebrush)
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree (1) Populus angustifolia
Shrub (1) Salix exigua
Herbaceous (1) Leymus cinereus
Physiographic features
Gently Sloping Floodplains, Small Valley Bottoms, and Low Terraces adjacent to Stream Bottoms
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Flood plain
(2) Valley floor
(3) Terrace
Elevation 5250 – 9000 ft Slope 3 – 15 % Climatic features
The climate of this zone is characterized by cool, moist summers and cold, snowy winters. Approximately 55 percent of the precipitation occurs as rain from April through September. This site receives additional moisture from flooding and from a water table close enough to the surface to support phreatophytic vegetation. On the average, October, November, and December are the driest months and April, May, and June are the wettest months because of flooding associated with spring runoff.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 110 days Freeze-free period (average) 0 days Precipitation total (average) 30 in BarLineFigure 1. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
Soil features
The soil is deep to very deep with a dark (mollic) surface horizon. It formed in alluvium derived mainly from sedimentary parent materials. The soil is often rocky. The water table is between 20 to 60 inches deep during the plant growth period. Spring season flooding often occurs from runoff. The water supplying capacity is 10 to 12 inches. The available water capacity os 0.04 to 0.17 inches per inch.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Drainage class Well drained Soil depth 40 – 60 in Available water capacity
(0-40in)0.04 – 0.17 in Ecological dynamics
As this site deteriorates due to grazing pressure, willow, cottonwood suckers and seedlings, and great basin wildrye decrease while big sagebrush, western wheatgrass, rabbitbrush, Kentucky bluegrass, yarrow, weedy forbs increase. When the potential natural plant community is burned, shrubs will temporarily decrease while perennial grasses greatly increase if they are on the site; if not, annuals will increase.
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 this plant community is coyote willow with an understory of narrowleaf cottonwood. The composition by air-dry weight is approximately 40 percent grasses and grasslike plants, 15 percent forbs, 45 percent shrubs, and 5 percent trees.
Figure 3. 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 460 780 1760 Shrub/Vine 368 518 878 Forb 173 293 368 Tree 58 98 123 Total 1059 1689 3129 Table 6. Ground cover
Tree foliar cover 0% Shrub/vine/liana foliar cover 30-30% Grass/grasslike foliar cover 30-30% Forb foliar cover 10-10% 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 – – – – >1 <= 2 – – – 9-11% >2 <= 4.5 – – 29-31% – >4.5 <= 13 – 29-31% – – >13 <= 40 – – – – >40 <= 80 – – – – >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 20–100 narrowleaf cottonwood POAN3 Populus angustifolia 20–100 – Shrub/Vine0 Dominant Shrub 280–500 narrowleaf willow SAEX Salix exigua 300–400 – western snowberry SYOC Symphoricarpos occidentalis 60–100 – basin big sagebrush ARTRT Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata 60–100 – chokecherry PRVI Prunus virginiana 60–100 – 3 Sub-Dominant Shrubs 280–740 Shrub (>.5m) 2SHRUB Shrub (>.5m) 100–200 – Utah serviceberry AMUT Amelanchier utahensis 20–60 – water birch BEOC2 Betula occidentalis 20–60 – yellow rabbitbrush CHVIL4 Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. lanceolatus 20–60 – western white clematis CLLI2 Clematis ligusticifolia 20–60 – creeping barberry MARE11 Mahonia repens 20–60 – quaking aspen POTR5 Populus tremuloides 20–60 – whitestem gooseberry RIIN2 Ribes inerme 20–60 – Woods' rose ROWO Rosa woodsii 20–60 – silver buffaloberry SHAR Shepherdia argentea 20–60 – Grass/Grasslike0 Dominant Grasses 340–600 basin wildrye LECI4 Leymus cinereus 100–200 – muttongrass POFE Poa fendleriana 60–100 – Letterman's needlegrass ACLE9 Achnatherum lettermanii 60–100 – Columbia needlegrass ACNE9 Achnatherum nelsonii 60–100 – Geyer's sedge CAGE2 Carex geyeri 60–100 – 1 Sub-Dominant Grasses 140–900 Grass, annual 2GA Grass, annual 20–300 – Grass, perennial 2GP Grass, perennial 20–300 – creeping bentgrass AGST2 Agrostis stolonifera 20–60 – California brome BRCA5 Bromus carinatus 20–60 – oniongrass MEBU Melica bulbosa 20–60 – western wheatgrass PASM Pascopyrum smithii 20–60 – bluebunch wheatgrass PSSP6 Pseudoroegneria spicata 20–60 – Forb0 Dominant Forbs 60–100 western sweetroot OSOC Osmorhiza occidentalis 60–100 – 2 Sub-Dominant Shrubs 680–1440 Forb, annual 2FA Forb, annual 200–300 – Forb, perennial 2FP Forb, perennial 200–300 – common yarrow ACMI2 Achillea millefolium 20–60 – sticky purple geranium GEVI2 Geranium viscosissimum 20–60 – common cowparsnip HEMA80 Heracleum maximum 20–60 – aspen pea LALA6 Lathyrus laetivirens 20–60 – silvery lupine LUARR Lupinus argenteus ssp. rubricaulis 20–60 – feathery false lily of the valley MARAR Maianthemum racemosum ssp. racemosum 20–60 – slender cinquefoil POGRF2 Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata 20–60 – lambstongue ragwort SEIN2 Senecio integerrimus 20–60 – tall ragwort SESE2 Senecio serra 20–60 – Missouri goldenrod SOMI2 Solidago missouriensis 20–60 – mountain goldenbanner THMOM3 Thermopsis montana var. montana 20–60 – white clover TRRE3 Trifolium repens 20–60 – tobacco root VAED Valeriana edulis 20–60 – Interpretations
Animal community
This site provides forage for cattle, sheep, and horses during spring, summer, and fall. To ensure the survival of willows and other shrubs, periodic spring deferred grazing is appropriate.
Water, Food, and Cover
Wildlife using this site include rabbit, coyote, badger, mule deer, elk, moose, blackbird, and oriole.
Hydrological functions
The soil series is in hydrologic group b. The hydrologic curve number is 61 when the vegetation is in good condition.
Recreational uses
Hunting, Hiking, and Camping
Wood products
Narrowleaf cottonwood has limited use.
Supporting information
Contributors
Garth W. Leishman, Jim Brown
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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