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<br />milkvetch. The east side of the Uncompahgre Valley has not been identified as essential to <br />any listed or candidate species. <br /> <br />Species with the most potential for direct effects are the plant species adapted to the desert <br />habitat interspersed with the agricultural land. Surveys of potential borrow areas, lateral <br />realignment routes, and habitat replacement lands would be conducted for endangered c1ay- <br />loving wild buckwheat and associated candidate plant species (the adobe penstemon and the <br />Colorado desert parsley) as designs are initiated. If located, the FWS would be consulted to <br />protect the plants. <br /> <br />Bald eagles frequent areas considered for improvement under the habitat replacement plan, <br />and may be disturbed by construction activities. <br /> <br />The four endangered fish species histopcally inhabited the Gunnison and/or Colorado Rivers <br />downstream of the project area. For the humpback and bonytail chub, there is no <br />documentation showing the Gunnison or Uncompahgre Rivers provided important habitat. <br />However, they did occur in the Colorado River below the mouth of the Gunnison River in <br />Grand Junction. The other two species, Colorado squawfish and razomack sucker, were <br />once common in the Gunnison River from Delta to Grand Junction, and downstream in the <br />Colorado River. These reaches have been designated as critical habitat for these fish. <br />Biologists collected adult Colorado squawfish during 1993 inventories in the Gunnison River <br />reaches within and above the designated critical habitat of the Gunnison River. <br /> <br />No adverse impacts to the fish or to critical habitat are expected. Water quality <br />improvements may benefit the endangered fish. Changes to streamflows caused by the 1984 <br />Plan or East Side Laterals Project would be minor and tend toward historical conditions. <br />The FR/FES identified that streamflows under the 1984 Plan could be increased (thus <br />reducing depletions) about 2,000 acre-feet annually, but conserved water probably would be <br />used on project lands. For the East Side Laterals Project, similar changes would occur. <br />Habitat replacement lands along the Gunnison River would provide opportunities to restore <br />important floodplain habitat to help in the recovery of the Colorado squawfish and, <br />especially, razomack sucker. <br /> <br />The FWS (1993) reviewed the biological assessment and concurred in the conclusion of no <br />effect to any of the above listed species from piping laterals, provided conservation measures <br />suggested in the assessment are completed. These measures are in the list of environmental <br />commitments (refer to section in Chapter 2). <br /> <br />Effective March 29, 1995, the southwestern willow flycatcher, one of five subspecies of the <br />willow flycather, was listed as an endangered species (FWS, 1995a). The subspecies <br />probably winters in Central America, Mexico. or northern South America. Its breeding <br />range includes southern Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and possibly western Colorado. <br />Distinguishing between subspecies is difficult and the exact status of the southwestern willow <br />flycatcher in western Colorado is not known. Surveys during the 1994 and 1995 breeding <br /> <br />22 <br />