1. SUS-410 Conservation Biology
Field Laboratory- Lost Man Reservoir & Independence Ghost Town- September 6, 2013
Field Report-Ancient Wetlands of the Rocky Mountains- September 16, 2013
Jason E Evitt
Site 1: Lost Man Reservoir Fen
I. Site Characterization
A. Habitat Description:
Geomorphic
Land Form
Glaciated mountain slope
Topographic
Position
Basin floor
Aspect SW
Slope 1-2% Gentle
Slope Shape Flat or Concave
Light Exposure The valley is steep and blocks a lot of morning sun with more evening
sun available. There is some micro shading involved with some
evergreen trees about 20-30’ high on the edges of the fen. The light
poles would create small amounts of shade throughout the day as well.
Moisture Inundated with a little surface water present
Proximity to
Moisture
Adjacent to or covered by significant snow for much of the year
Soil Texture 0-5”: mostly organic soil with little mineralization; 5”+: Peat- to a depth
of over 40”
B. Fen Characterization:
1. Dominant Plant Community- Sedge dominated, rushes, mosses, grasses, plane leaf
willow with some willow carr on mossy rises.
2. Soil/Peat Characterization- Soil presence from 0-5” is mostly organic composition with
little mineralization.
a.) Von Post Value- H3: Very little decomposition; very slightly muddy peat;
water squeezed from peat is muddy; no peat passes through fingers when
squeezed; residue retains structure of peat
b.) Peat Depth- Beginning at 5”, peat is persistent to a depth of over 40” to an
undetermined depth.
3. Water Quality- Temperature:
Conductivity:
pH:
4. Water Source-
a.) Groundwater: There is groundwater recharge from the mountains on the
Southwest and West side of the fen. The majority of the groundwater recharge
from the mountains on the North to the Eastern side of the fen is blocked by a

2. barrier that was created in the 1950’s or 1960’s to collect that water and divert it
to a ditch to carry it to the Front Range via an aqua duct. There is limited
recharge from the dam that is upstream from the fen. The stream offers some
groundwater recharge as well.
b.) There was no apparent outflow of the stream.
c.) There was no apparent surface water inflow to the stream.
d.) There was no surface water domination and very little surface water present.
e.) There may have been impoundment when Highway 82 was created, but that
affect has been visually masked through the many years of adaptation. There are
trails around much of the area that may contribute to impoundment.
f.) In a slopping manner, the topography of the fen area is lower than the
surrounding area. The stream cut on the lower SW side of the fen reveals the
water table being at a consistent grade throughout the fen.
5. Water Development- There is a reservoir about 60 yards away on the Northern,
upstream side of the fen. It does impede water from the fen, but there may be
groundwater recharge from this area as well.
6. Hydrologic Alteration- There is a power line that runs through the middle of the fen.
The 3 or 4 light poles are an intrusion into the fen, but may not pose any hydrologic
alteration.
II. Assessment & Analysis
The fen at the lost man area is functional at this time, but it is not sustainable. Over time,
the mineralization from the trails and NE barrier for water diversion will overtake the
structure of the fen and cause the complexity to be below the 60% peat requirement. The
mineralization would solidify the structure and prevent water infiltration in those areas.
It would also alter the pH of the rest of the system, which would affect the microbial
activity and plant distribution. There is some mineralization that has encroached on the
Eastern side of the fen. It is migrating from the barricade/trail that is above the fen on
that side.
The age of the fen is around 10,000 years old as a fen grows only a few inches per
thousand years and there are over 40 inches of peat present. It most likely began its
development after the recession of the last ice age around 12,000 years ago.
There is a diversity of ecosystems on a vertical scale present. The fen is nestled at the
bottom of the Lost Man Valley. The valley is relatively steep and rises to a distance of
just over 12,000 feet. The vertical rise from the valley floor is around 2,000 feet. This is
a second growth forest with succession nearing maturity in the culmination of primary

3. spruce/fir forest. There is a montage of Spruce/Fir, Aspen, willow carr, Engelmann
Spruce, Lodge pole Pine, open meadow, wet meadow, and fell field comprising the
surrounding ecosystem. Succession is taking place in the aspen groves, as they are a
secondary forest, giving way to the primary Spruce/Fir forest.
There are no noxious weeds evident in the fen. There are some oxeye daisies and
dandelions growing around the parking lot, which is about 50 yards from the bottom of
the fen. In time, these plants will invade the fen and affect the plant diversity and
distribution of the fen adversely.
There is enough vegetation on the fen to prevent drying out due to wind. The plant
community is intact with a medium average density of around 75-80%. The vegetation
insulates and protects the fen from wind, rain droplets, evaporation and weed seed
invasion. The thatch layer was present and intact. This also provides a layer of
protection and an environment capable of hosting flora and fauna beneficial to the fen.
III. Discussion
Livestock grazing allotments were established in 1905 with the creation of forest
reserves. The specific area where the fen is located, the Hunter/Midvalley allotment, has
not been used since 1966 (Condon). There were probably disturbances and grazing
impacts to the fen, but the area shows no indication of overgrazing at this time from
livestock or wild ungulates.
There was mining in the area during the late 1800’s, but no evidence in the immediate
area of the fen.
There is a need to remove the trail and water diversion ditch above the fen. The
mineralization that is creeping into the fen from those manmade alterations of the
ecosystem poses a threat to the sustainability of the fen. A broader vision to accomplish
this would be to purchase the water rights from the present owners of the Front Range,
which is why the water is being diverted. At that time, removal of the trail and ditch
would be legally feasible. There would be little impact to the recreational use of the area
because there is another trail entering the area that is below the fen. A trail below a fen
does not present a problem of mineralization for the fen.
The Lost Man Reservoir that is above the fen needs to be resolved and removed as well.
Further research needs to be done about that possibility. The reservoir adversely affects
the fen by preventing the water in the reservoir from recharging the groundwater and
becoming available to the fen. The stream channel path is altered because of the location
of the reservoir. There could have been a fen where the reservoir was created, but we do
not know that yet.
Fens are very important for the health of the mountain ecosystem and we need to protect
it as such. Fens hold a large amount of water and slowly release it throughout the season.
The hydrologic cycle is the foundation of any ecosystem because of its importance for the

4. survival of living organism. It takes thousands of years for a fen to develop, but human
alteration can destroy the functionality of a fen in moments through water diversion,
water drainage systems, peat harvesting or any disturbance that reduces the water table
and exposes the peat to aeration. The water source for a fen comes from groundwater
that is supplied by water moving through the mountains and resurfaces again on the
valley floor. The accumulation of organic material from vegetation along with the cold
temperatures of the ground water and the cold ambient air most of the year (deep snow on
top keeps most of the fen from freezing in the winter) creates an anaerobic condition.
The organic matter decomposes slowly and forms peat. Peat is great at carbon
sequestration and holds lots of water, but not many nutrients. The nutrients that are
characteristically high in quantity in fens come from the groundwater cycling through the
mountains and dissolving minerals and carrying nutrients as it goes. Many nutrients are
slowly dispersed back into the ecosystem via interrelationships of fens.
With their water holding capacity and their high nutrient content, fens are a vital part of
the Rocky Mountain ecosystem. There are an estimated 15,000 acres of fens in 5,544
possible sites in the White River National Forest. Fens help to purify water and harbor
native plants, some of which date back to the last Ice Age. A functional fen can act like a
glacial ice core by containing a climatological record of plants, pollen and insects
(McGregor). Every effort should be made to retain this valuable, vital part of the Rocky
Mountain ecosystem.
Site 2: Independence Ghost Town
I. Site Characterization
A. Habitat Description:
Geomorphic Land
Form
Glaciated mountain slope
Topographic Position Basin floor
Aspect SW 250-270 degrees
Slope 7% Gentle
Slope Shape Flat or Concave
Light Exposure Open, patchy distribution with rock outcrops and open meadows,
grass and flowers
Moisture Inundated with a little surface water present
Proximity to
Moisture
Adjacent to or covered by significant snow for much of the year
Soil Texture 0-8”- Silt/Clay/Organic
8-12”- Peat
12”+ - Peat and Mineral
B. Fen Characterization:

5. 1. Dominant Plant Community- Sedge dominated, rushes, mosses, grasses, plane leaf
willow with some willow carr on mossy rises.
2. Soil/Peat Characterization- Soil presence from 0-8” is a silt/clay/organic composition
a.) Von Post Value- H4: Poorly decomposed; somewhat muddy peat; water
squeezed from peat is muddy; residue is muddy but it shows structure of peat
b.) Peat Depth- Beginning at 8” peat is persistent to a depth of over 40”; at a depth
of 12” peat is accompanied with mineralization to an undetermined depth.
3. Water Quality- Temperature:
Conductivity:
pH:
4. Water Source- Groundwater: The inflow is subsurface. The outflow is subsurface but
there is a small amount of surface flow due to the lack of vegetation.
5. Hydrologic Alteration- Highway 82 crosses the Western slope of the mountain and
alters the hydrologic flow of the groundwater and mineralizes some of it and prevents
some water from reaching the Roaring Fork River which provides recharge of the fen.
II. Assessment & Analysis
This fen is losing its function and is not sustainable under the disruption pressures its
under. Overgrazing by elk is causing extensive damage to the fen in loss of vegetation
and impaction. This also causes mineralization of the subsurface layers.
The large elk population is causing an adverse effect on the fen. Without the wolf as an
apex predator the elk spend too much time in the lowlands and have caused disruption of
the fen. I propose reintroducing the wolf into the ecosystem to regain the needed
predator/prey relationship (Beschta).
I also propose releasing more beavers into the ecosystem to create more wetlands and
prevent erosion. Wetlands are a key component of a healthy ecosystem and they
recharge the aquifers that feed and maintain fens.
III. Discussion
See above discussion.
Citations:

6. Beschta, Robert L., and William J. Ripple. 2010. "Recovering Riparian Plant
Communities with Wolves in Northern Yellowstone, U.S.A." Restoration
Ecology 18, no. 3: 380-389. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed
September 19, 2013).
Condon, Scott. 28 July 2003. "Sign of Changing Times: Hikers Now Roam Where Sheep
Once Grazed." Aspen Times. N.p., Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20030728/NEWS/307270004>.
McGregor, Heather. 18 Sept. 2011. "Forest Fins Foster Ice Age Relic Plants." Post
Independent. N.p.,. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20110918/NEWS/110919851>.

7. Beschta, Robert L., and William J. Ripple. 2010. "Recovering Riparian Plant
Communities with Wolves in Northern Yellowstone, U.S.A." Restoration
Ecology 18, no. 3: 380-389. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed
September 19, 2013).
Condon, Scott. 28 July 2003. "Sign of Changing Times: Hikers Now Roam Where Sheep
Once Grazed." Aspen Times. N.p., Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20030728/NEWS/307270004>.
McGregor, Heather. 18 Sept. 2011. "Forest Fins Foster Ice Age Relic Plants." Post
Independent. N.p.,. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20110918/NEWS/110919851>.