Information on plant species within the Project area was gathered during onsite investigations of the proposed East array area and observations made from the perimeter of the proposed West array area along Lone Cone Road. Field investigations were conducted on October 3 and 4, and January 6, 2023.

The proposed Project area encompasses 1009.4 acres of undeveloped lands within the shale deserts and sedimentary basins of the Colorado Plateaus ecoregion, with the southern extent of the Project area reaching into the semiarid benchlands and canyonlands ecoregion (Chapman et al. 2006).  Dominant habitat types in the Project area are two-needle pinyon-Utah juniper (Pinus edulis - Juniperus osteosperma) shrub dry-mesic woodlands and sagebrush / sandsage scrub, characterized by Pinus edulis that forms a very open to moderately dense tree layer often with Juniperus osteosperma (sometimes with J. monosperma or J. scopulorum) and an understory dominated by an open to dense layer of relatively mesic shrubs or shrubs exceed cover of grasses. The understory is characterized by relatively mesic shrubs that typically form an open to moderately dense layer, including: Amelanchier utahensis, Artemisia tridentata ssp., Quercus gambelii, and Symphoricarpos oreophilus. The herbaceous layer is sparse to moderate and composed of grasses often with diverse, but low cover of forbs. 

The Gurley Ditch in the SLB tract is a natural watercourse characterized by riparian vegetation along the stream banks and with Gambel oak and cottonwood woodlands creating a forested gallery along the channel through the proposed Project site.  The creek bed consists of rocky stream bottoms interspersed by bedrock flats. The Gurley and South Lateral Ditches are intermittent streams managed by the Farmers Water, as discussed above in Section 3.3. Smaller channels in the proposed east array and the west array areas exhibit similar vegetation.  The freshwater spring in the SLB tract presents an open water pond surrounded by cattail (Typha spp.) marsh.  Wetlands in the Project area are characterized by cattail marshes.

Plant species observed during field investigations within the east array area and from outside of the west array area boundaries along Lone Cone Road, include:  

Consequences

Vegetation removal would occur across most of the Project site during construction.  Construction of the Project would cause the direct and permanent loss of 580 acres of vegetation and the habitat it provides within the Project site. Root structures would be removed, and soils would be highly disturbed and compacted such that impacts would be permanent.  Native vegetation is unlikely to regrow during Project operation.  Indirect impacts from the Project are likely to include the introduction and establishment of weed species carried into the area on vehicles and equipment.  Proliferation of nonnative species in the Project site and adjacent properties would result in degradation of vegetation communities in the area.  Indirect impacts could also include fugitive dust, which can impede photosynthesis and other metabolic processes of native plants.  Increases in surface water runoff from the Project site could also affect hydrologic characteristics of these communities.  The introduction of contaminants into downstream habitats could result from contaminant spills and dust palliatives.  There is also potential for herbicide drift from the site to impact surrounding plant communities.  The proposed Project would have long-term and permanent adverse impacts to the native plant communities in the Project area.

No Action Alternative

The No Action Alternative would result in no impacts to the vegetation.