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Show Classification of Streams Map # 10 depicts stream classes. Each stream or section thereof was rated numerically for aesthetics, availability and productivity ranging from 1 to 5. This value is then multiplied by a factor of 1 for aesthetics; 2 for availability, and 4 for productivity. The subtotals are then added to obtain a composite rating, which is used to assign a water to a class. Classes range from Class I, the best fishing waters, to Class VT, the poorest. In the Uinta Hydrologic Area there are 1,136.7 miles of stream that have been classified by this method. Streams have been segmented where significant physical or ecological changes occur. The table below shows the number of miles of each class of stream in the Uinta Hydrologic Area and the State of Utah. Class JL Class 2^ Class 3^ Class 4 Class j> Class 6_ Uinta Hydro. Area 28.8 79.3 463.7 554„ 7 6.6 3.6 State of Utah 61.8 450.9 2522.1 1530.1 645.3 266.7 Arable Land There are approximately 340,700 acres of arable land in the Uinta Hydrologic Area. At present about 173,200 acres are cultivated. About 3,800 acres of the cultivated land are dry farmed; the rest is irrigated. The land that is not cultivated is considered as potentially irrigable and includes about 167,500 acres. Irrigated, potentially irrigable and dry farmed lands are shown on map # 11. Vegetation & Range Lands Range lands have a characteristic appearance given them by a single plant species or group of species. The composition of the vegetation and its appearance are used to separate range types. The eight types used on the range map will be discussed in more detail below. Map # 12, the vegetative cover map, was adapted from Major Plant Communities of Utah by Robert H. Foster. The dominant species are designated with upper case letters, while sub- dominant species are indicated by lower case letters. Boundaries between types of vegetation are often difficult to determine precisely, and therefore, are somewhat generalized. Range types and deer winter range areas are depicted on maps 13 and 14 respectively. The most extensive range type found in the Uintah Hydrologic Area is the pinyon- juniper type. It is found in foothill areas between the elevations of 5,500 and 7,500 feet. It is used principally as spring range for livestock and winter range for deer. Higher areas are also grazed in summer. This type normally has a low carrying capacity. Average annual precipitation is 10 to 18 inches and runoff is minimal. The salt- desert shrub type is characterized by browse species such as shadscale, four- wing saltbush, salt sage, winterfat, greasewood, horsebrush, rabbitbrush and several grasses. It is used primarily for winter grazing by sheep and cattle. It occurs at elevations of 3,700 to 5,700 feet and receives 4 to 10 inches annual precipitation. There is little runoff. The sagebrush type occurs principally on foothills along with juniper and on adjacent plains at elevations of 4,500 to 6,500 feet. Predominant species are big sagebrush, black sagebrush and grasses. This type is of great importance as a spring- fall range for cattle and sheep and winter range for deer. Annual rainfall averages 8 to 16 inches. Runoff again is minimal. The plains grassland type is similar to salt- desert shrub and sagebrush types, but is distinguished by a predominance of grasses over browse plants. It occurs only in scattered, isolated areas at an elevation of 4,000 to 6,500 feet. This type provides good winter grazing especially for cattle. Although |
