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Home My WebLink About23 Supplemental Materials to Satisfy ConditionNoxious Weed Inventory & Management Pian OXY USA WTP LP Ponds 13 East and West Garfield County Colorado Prepared by: Lilly Griffin, Range Ecologist Supporting Scientist Olsson Associates 760 Horizon Drive Suite 102 Grand Junction CO 81506 TEL 970,210.4328 1 FAX 970.263.7456 igriffin@olssonassociates.com www.olssonassociates.com OLSSON 0 0\OLSSON ASSOCIATE'• Noxious Weed Inventory & Management Pian OXY USA WTP LP Ponds 13 East and West Garfield County, Colorado Prepared for: Garfield County Vegetation Management 0375 County Road 352, Bldg. 2060 Rifle, CO 81650 Prepared by: Lilly Griffin, Range Ecologist Supporting Scientist Olsson Associates 760 Horizon Drive Suite 102 Grand Junction CO 81506 TEL 970.210.4328 1 FAX 970.263.7456 Igriffin@olssonassociates.com olssonassociates.com www. of ssonassociates. com Weed Inventory, Ponds 13 East and West July 3, 2014 Chris Clark, Operations Manager - Piceance OXY USA WTP LP 760 Horizon Drive, Suite 101 Grand Junction, CO 81506 Chris_Clark@Oxy.com 970-263-3600 OLSSON ASSOCIATES July 3, 2014 Table of Contents 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 3 1.1. Description of Analysis Area 3 1.2. Photos of Dominant Vegetation Community Types 4 2. RESULTS OF SURVEY EFFORTS 5 2.1. Figure 1: Noxious Weeds Map 6 2.2. Noxious Weed Inventory Spreadsheet 7 3. NOXIOUS WEED MANAGEMENT PLAN 8 4. SEED MIX RECOMMENDATION 8 5. APPENDIX A- COLORADO LISTED NOXIOUS WEEDS 9 6. APPENDIX B- GARFIELD COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED LIST 12 Weed Inventory, Ponds 13 East and West ii O'`1 OLSSON A SIOCQLT C4 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION July 3, 2014 This noxious weed inventory and management plan was prepared at the request of OXY USA WTP LP (Oxy) for their proposed Ponds 13 East and West Centralized E and P Waste Management Facility project. This is a proposed facility that would be located at the existing Ponds 13 East and West produced water storage facilities and existing gas pad (604-44), located directly adjacent to the proposed Centralized E and P Waste Management Facility as a storage area. The combined locations footprint is approximately 5.16 acres, a total of approximately 13 acres were surveyed, the 13 acres included the pad footprints, all cut and fill slopes, and a 10 foot buffer. The project is on private property located in the Southeast corner of Section 4, Township 6 South, Range 97 West, in Garfield County, Colorado. The proposed location would be located on the existing Oil and Gas production pads, and produced water storage locations. Olsson Associates (Olsson) was retained by Oxy to conduct pre -construction noxious weed surveys and to provide Oxy's existing Weed Management Plan to fulfill requirements requested by Garfield County's Vegetation Management department. Both Garfield County's noxious weed Ilse and the State of Colorado's noxious weed lista were utilized for Olsson's' survey efforts (see Appendix A and B). To summarize, our surveys found the following State listed noxious weeds: • 1 List B Species o Houndstongue (Cynoglossum offlcinale) G • 2 List C Species o Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) o Cheatgrass (downy brome) (Anisantha tectorum) G= also a Garfield County noxious weed 1.1. Description of Analysis Area The proposed facility exists in a natural vegetation community of mixed mountain shrublands, dominated by Big Sage brush (Artemisia tridentota) with a scattered presence of Utah serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis), snowberry (Symphorocarpos rotundifolia), and oakbrush (Quercus gambelii). The understory was diverse, and was dominated by American vetch (Viscid americana), lupine (Lupinus spp.), Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda), Paintbrush (Castllleja spp.), Scorpion weed (Phacelia heterophylla), Sulfur Flower (Eriogonum Umbellatum), June grass (Koelaria macarantha), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Rocky Mountain penstemon (Penstemon strictus), biuebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata), green needlegrass (Nassella viridula) and needle -and -thread grass (Hesperostipa comate). Additional species occurred in lesser coverage and amounts. ' Garfield County Noxious Weed list: http://www.garfield-county.com/vegetation-management/noxious-weed-list.aspxl 2 Colorado Noxious Weed list: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&biobheadernamel=Cantent- Disposition&blobheadername2=Content-Type&blobheadervaluel=inline%3B+filename%3D%22Noxious+Weed+List,pdf %22&blobheadervalue2=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1251965326013&ssbinary =true Weed Inventory, Ponds 13 East and West 3 OLSSON Assoc+Ar'es July 3, 2014 As mentioned above the proposed facility is located at the existing Ponds 13 East and West produced water storage facilities and existing gas pad (604-44), located directly adjacent to the proposed Centralized E and P Waste Management Facility as a storage area. The pad locations have been kept mostly clear of vegetation. Vegetation on the pad is limited to Prostrate knotweed (Polygonum aviculare), Downy brome (Anisantha tectorum), Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale), Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus), and Flatspine stickseed (Lappula occidentalis). The location berms, cut slopes, and fill slopes support several weedy species, and seeded grasses. The dominating vegetation include Downy brome (Anisantha tectorum), Flatspine stickseed (Lappula occidentalis), Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerate), Flixweed (Descurainia Sophia), Thickspike wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus), Bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata), Slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus), and Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale). 1.2. Photos of Dominant Vegetation Community Types Southwest fillslope looking northwest Native vegetation community directly South Dominant Downy brome community on north berm Weed Inventory, Ponds 13 East and West Vegetation on east fillslope looking north 4 OLSSON ASSOCIATES 2. RESULTS OF SURVEY EFFORTS July 3, 2014 Houndstongue was by far the most common noxious weed found within the project area, but was widely scattered and only occurred in very low densities (<1% cover), with a few small patches having higher densities in wet or drainage areas; in these areas cover of houndstongue approached 10®%, but still the relative cover of this species would be considered to be low. Common mullein occurred in the storage area south of the ponds; the Common mullein occurred mostly on the perimeter of the storage area but had a total coverage area of close to 5%. The existing natural gas pad berms were dominated by Downy brome along the roadway, and separation of pad and fill slope; therefore, it is likely that Downy brome will be difficult to control during remediation efforts of the existing facilities or the proposed facility. It should be noted that a native thistle was discovered on the pad on various cutslopes, the storage area to the south, and northeast corner of the surveyed area. This thistle was acknowledged and found to be a non- invasive and was therefore not included in the inventory. in a cluster on the Weed Inventory, Ponds 13 East and West CY OLSSON. •s$ocuAT[s 2.1. Figure 1: Noxious Weeds Map July 3, 2014 9 r O HounOsion9ue Downy Lyon* Houndslon4ue f Common mullein LFmt of Disturbance - Survey Area GLLLAdaI ?Ai 64.2np'. Avt.-. cr :A+^ 40 ieti . e.-eantAu ere ,t... e m nv,r.L& 2a nivel,* wntst M audit Ap 5V VJe te+dd. 55 50 s eye ferndnnes dwe Mali[. •Ji Os av On ••••••w M tae [Mil o' 5* rd a•rr ?;*4' •5* {STY+MI n 0.e 4.. W nrrnmm2 +ream. x.1rn rt T* ..1.Lnt, L.rM am Rreevan,. 5.5t al mr tout n 116e5m 511, a(1 art, C 55125"4 5 aV r! W 55 6l: ¢1,,,O2 5* 2.44,4 54 *54 von.. 0 110 220 Feet Projekt Number 013-0655 Drawn 8y JWH Revision Date 7/3/2014 Noxious Weed Map Oxy USA WTP Pond 13 Garfield County, CO CY'S. OLSSON 4F'. ASS(JLIATL5 760 Honzon Drive, Suite 102 Grand Junction, CO 91506 P 970.263 7800 F. 970.263 7456 F Igure 1 6 0" OLSSON 4, ASSO[IA1'[s 2.2. Noxious Weed Inventory Spreadsheet July 3, 2014 HD Ili Long . 41, .2193 :. Species . { ;, stongue Cover - Growth Stage owered f Ve e ,,i,,.- 1 3 39.550051 39.550089 -108.219422 -108219.353 Houndstongue 0-5% 0-5% Vegetative Vegetative Houndstongue 5 39.549829 -108.219262 0-5% V Vegetative Houndstongue 39549738 -108.219235 Houndstongue :: 0-5% Vegetative 39.549365 -108.219049 Houndstongue 0-596 Flowered 9 39.5493 '. 39.549256 -108.218988 Houndstongue 0-5% ;5 Flowered 39.54 `,Allindstorligue ea 11 39.549161 -108.218725 Houndstongue 0-5% Flower^ed � 13 39.549075 39.549083 -108.218624 -108.218515 lik Houndstongue 0-5% 0-5% Flowered Vegetative 17 39.547108 Houndstongue -108.216819 18 .- p _:-- -216064 •- : - : Flow -, 19 39.548968 -108.216625 Houndstongue 0-5% Flowered 20 39.548980 -108.216765 .II ,, • ngue a 5%1=11, 21 39.549837 -108.218340 Houndstongue 0-5% Vegetative 22 39.5504011 -108.218701 Houndstongue 10-15% '• 23 39.550415 -108.218796 Houndstongue 0-5% Flowered 24 39.549592 -108219163 Downy aro • 20-30'% ; In Seed 25 39.547367 -108.216779 Common mullein/Houndstongue 5-10% Mostly Vegetative 2J6 39.548992 -108.216705 Downy Brame 20-30% . , - in Seed 27 39.549768 -108.218302 Downy Brame 20-30% In Seed Weed Inventory, Ponds 13 East and West ►OLSSON 0 ASSOCIATES 3. Noxious WEED MANAGEMENT PLAN July 3, 2014 Oxy currently operates following their established Noxious Weed Management Plan for the control and eradication of state and county listed noxious weeds. Oxy will continue to operate under this plan at the proposed location in the future. 4. SEED MIX RECOMMENDATION The following seed mix is an Oxy Owned Land Approved Seed Mixture for reclamation in mixed mountain shrublands and oakbrush community types, which should work well in this area. This mix is also a menu -based seed mix prescribed by the BLM. Conunon Name Scientific Names Form PLS lbs/acre* Thickspike Wheatgrass Elymus lanreolatus ssp. lanceolatus. Agropyron dasystachyum sod -forming 3.4 Bluehanch Wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria bunch 3.7 spicata. Agropyron spicaturn Bottlebrush Squirreltail Elymus eivmoides. bunch 2.7 Siranion hystrix Slender Wheatgrass Elymus trachvcau!us, bunch 3.3 Agropyron trachyca:dun! Canby Bluegrass Pet canbyi. P. bunch 0.6 secunda Mutton Bluegrass Letterman Needlegrass Columbia Needlegrass Poo fendlerian a bunch 0.6 Achnatherum (Stipa,' bunch 1.7 lettenrtanii Achnatheraern !Stipa/ bunch 1.7 nelsonii, Stipa col urnbiana Indian Ricegrass Achnatherum bunch 1.9 [Oryzopsis) hymenoides Junegrass Koeleria macrantha. bunch 0.1 K. cristata These rates are based on drill seeding (i.e., 60 PLS per square foot), but if the site is to be broadcast seeded, then double the seeding rate (120 PLS per square foot or Ibs/acre). Weed Inventory, Ponds 13 East and West 8 0\OLSSON A S S OCIATE S 5. APPENDIX A- COLORADO LISTED NOXIOUS WEEDS Colorado Noxious Weeds (including Watch List) List A Species (22) Common Scientific African rue Camelthorn Common crupina Cypress spurge Dyer's woad Elongated mustard Giant reed Giant salvinia Hydrilla Japanese knotweed Giant knotweed Bohemian knotweed Meadow knapweed Mediterranean sage Medusahead Myrtle spurge Orange hawkweed Purple Ioosestrife Rush skeletonweed Squarrose knapweed Tansy ragwort Yellow starthistle List 8 Species (37) Common (Peganum harmala) (Alhagi pseudalhagi) (Crupina vulgaris) (Euphorbia cyparissias) (Isatis tinctoria) (Brassica elongata) (Arundo donax) (salvinia molesta) (Hydrilla verticillata) (Polygonum cuspidatum) (Polygonum sachalinense) (Polygonum x bohemicum) (Centaurea pratensis) (Salvia aethiopis) (Taeniatherum caput -medusae) (Euphorbia myrsinites) (Hieracium aurantiacum) (Lythrum salicaria) (Chondrilla juncea) (Centaurea virgata) (Senecio jacobaea) (Centaurea solstitialis) Scientific Absinth wormwood Black henbane Bouncingbet Bull thistle Canada thistle Chinese clematis Common tansy Common teasel Corn chamomile Cutleaf teasel Dalmatian toadflax, broad-leaved Dalmatian toadflax, narrow -leaved Dame's rocket matronalis) (Artemisia absinthium) (Hyoscyamus niger) (Saponaria officinalis) (Cirsium vulgare) (Cirsium arvense) (Clematis orientalis) (Tanacetum vulgare) (Dipsacus fullonum) (Anthemis arvensis) (Dipsacus laciniatus) (Linaria dalmatica) (Linaria genistifolia) (Hesperis July 3, 2014 Weed Inventory, Ponds 13 East and West 9 OLSSON .10 SSr3U,A, ES. Diffuse knapweed Eurasian watermilfoil Hoary cress Houndstongue Jointed goatgrass Leafy spurge Mayweed chamomile Moth mullein Musk thistle Oxeye daisy Perennial pepperweed Plumeless thistle Quackgra55 Russian knapweed Russian -olive Salt cedar Scentless charnomile Scotch thistle Spotted knapweed Spurred anoda Sulfur cinquefoil Venice mallow Wild caraway Yellow nutsedge Yellow toadffax List C Species (75) Common (Centaurea diffusa) (Myriop'hyllum spicatum) (Cardaria drabs) (Cynoglossum officinals) (Aegilops cylindrica) (Euphorbia esula) (Anthemis cotula) (Verbascum blattaria) (Carduus nutans) (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) (Lepidium latifolium) (Carduus acanthoides) (Elytrigia repens) (Acroptilon repens) (Elaeagnus angustifolia) (Tamarix chinensis, T. parvflora, and T. ramosissima) (Matricaria perforata) (Onopordum tauricum) (Centaurea maculosa) (Anoda cristata) (Potentilla recta) (Hibiscus trionum) (Carum carni) (Cyperus esculentus) (Linaria vulgaris) Scientific Bulbous bluegrass Chicory Common burdock Common mullein Common St. Johnswort Downy brome Field bindweed Halogeton Johnsongrass Perennialsowthistle Poison hemlock Puncturevine Redstemfilaree Velvetleaf Wild proso millet (Poa bulbosa) (Cichorium intybus) (Arctium minus) (Verbascum thapsus) (Hypericum perforatum) (Bromus tectorum) (Convolvulus arvensis) (Halogeton glomeratus) (Sorghum halepense) (Sonchus arvensis) (Conium maculatum) (Tribulus terrestris) (Erodium cicutarium) (Abutilon theophrasti) (Panicum miliaceum) July 3, 2014 Weed Inventory, Ponds 13 East and West 10 OLSSON ,H: ASSOCIAT ES Watch List Species (26) Common Scientific Asian mustard Baby's breath Bathurst burr, Spiney cocklebur Brazilian elodea Common bugloss Common reed Flowering rush Garlic mustard Hairy willow -herb Himalayan blackberry Japanese blood grass/cogongrass Meadow hawkweed caespitosum) onionweed Pampas grass Parrotfeather Scotch broom Sericea lespedeza Swainsonpea Syrian beancaper Water hyacinth Water lettuce White bryony Woolly distaff thistle Yellow flag Iris Yellow floatingheart Yellowtuft (Brassica tournefortii) (Gypsophila paniculata) (Xanthium spinosum) (Egeria densa) (Anchusa officinalis) (Phragmites australis) (Butomus umbellatus) (Alliaria petiolata) (Epilobium hirsutum) (Rubus armeniacus) (Imperata cylindrica) (Hieracium (Asphodelus fistulosus) (Cortideria jubata) (Myriophyllum aquaticurn) (Cytisus scoparius) (Lespedeza cuneata) (Sphaerophysa salsula) (Zygophyllum fabago) (Eichhornia crassipes) (Pistia stratiotes) (Bryonia alba) (Carthamus lanatus) (Iris pseudacorus) (Nymphoides peltata) (Alyssum murale, A. corsicum) July 3, 2014 Weed inventory, Ponds 13 East and West 11 O\OLSSON * So C1 AttS 6. APPENDIX B- GARFIELD COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED LIST Common name Scientific name Leafy Spurge Euphorbia esula Russian Knapweed Acroptilon repens Yellow Starthistle Centaurea saistitalis Plumeless Thistle Carduus acanthoides Houndstongue Cynoglossum officinale Common Burdock Arctium minus Scotch Thistle Canada Thistle Spotted Knapweed Diffuse Knapweed Dalmatian Yellow Toadflax Hoary Cress Salt Cedar Oxeye Daisy Jointed Goatgrass Aegilops cyllndrica Onopordum acanthium Cirsium arvense Centaurea maculasa Centaurea diffusa Toadflax Linaria dalmatica Linaria vulgaris Cardaria drabs Tamarix parvrflara, Tamarix ramosissirna Chrysanthemum leucantheum Chicory Cichariurn intybus Musk Thistle Carduus nutans Purple Loosestrife Lythrum so/lc-aria Russian Olive Elaeagnus angustifoiia July 3, 2014 Weed Inventory, Ponds 13 East and West 12