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<br />Su~~ARY (Continued) <br /> <br />control program to the Colorado Division of Wildlife to operate and <br />maintain these wetlands. <br /> <br />Fish <br /> <br />Fisheries management of the streams in the McElmo Creek area would <br />remain unchanged with or without the project modifications. Recause of <br />the poor quality water and low survival rate, no fish stocking would be <br />conducted. No adverse impacts to the fishery resource would occur with <br />the project modifications. Water quality would improve as salinity <br />levels are decreased, thereby positively affecting those fish living in <br />McElmo Creek. <br /> <br />By supplementing the MVIC's water supply, the project would gener- <br />ally have a stabilizing effect on Narraguinnep Reservoir. Once the <br />project modifications were constructed and operational, Rocky Ford Ditch <br />would be abandoned. Totten Reservoir would serve no irrigation purpose <br />to the MVIC, but the necessary quantity up to 800 acre-feet of project <br />water would be made available to maintain water quality and sustain the <br />fishery. The MVIC would continue to operate and maintain Totten Dam and <br />Reservoir with annually appropriated funds authorized by salinity <br />control legislation. <br /> <br />Threatened and endangered species <br /> <br />In accordance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, Recla- <br />mation provided the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a Biological Assess- <br />ment on the Colorado squawfish and the bald eagle. This assessment con- <br />tains the conclusion of Reclamation that there would be little or no <br />effect on the endangered species by the project modifications. The Fish <br />and Wildlife Service issued a Biological Opinion that the project modifi- <br />cations would not jeopardize the continued existence of the Colorado <br />squawfish or the bald eagle. <br /> <br />Recreation <br /> <br />During the short-term, construction on the project modifications <br />would have a negative impact on any recreational use of the laterals <br />and ditches, such as hiking and bird watching. The stabilizing of Narra- <br />guinnep Reservoir would have a positive effect on the visual and recrea- <br />tional aspects of the reservoir. Under MVIC management of Totten Reser- <br />voir, its recreational use would continue. <br /> <br />Cultural resources <br /> <br />Construction of the salinity control features described elsewhere <br />will destroy or damage a majority of the 129 recorded cultural resources, <br />thereby creating an irreversible adverse effect. A specific mitigation <br />plan for the canal and lateral features of the Dolores Project was <br />