Native Vegetation 
39 
Pig. 12.—Near Basalt, Colorado, on Roaring Fork River. The sage¬ 
brush slopes, at the base of the mountain, have been cleared, and are now 
growing excellent crops of small grain, alfalfa and potatoes. Narrow-leaf 
cottonwood (Populus augustifolia) along the stream; oak, aspen and Doug¬ 
las fir on the steep slopes. 
the western section of the state, chiefly at elevations below 7,000 
feet. 
Shrub-steppe is scattered throughout the entire intermountain 
area. It occurs in some parts of South Park, and in the Wet Moun¬ 
tain Valley. Locally, it is also found in small patches on the east¬ 
ern mountain front, and even here and there on the Great Plains. 
The round-leaved saltbush {Atriplex confertifolia), sometimes 
along with greasewood ( Sarcobatus vermicidatus) and common 
Grayia ( Grayia spinosa), is found chiefly on alkaline flats in west¬ 
ern Colorado, especially in the lower valleys. Extensive and typi¬ 
cal areas of this association are found in the lower Snake River 
Valley. The soil it occupies is usually fine-grained, the surface 
layers dry, and the soil below the first and second foot quite high 
in salt content. Salt sage or small salt-brush (Atriplex nuttalii ) is 
another plant of alkaline flats. Cary* reports it as being the “most 
conspicuous shrub in Midland Basin, western Routt (Moffat) 
County; on the desert north of Mack; and on the alkaline stretch 
of country between Hotchkiss and the West Elk Mountains.” 
*Cary, M. A biological survey of Colorado, U. S. Dept, of Agri. North Amer. Fauna. 
