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<br />siphon structures, and the channel will be siphoned under the existing road. <br />The project will provide 5,300 acre-feet of water annually to Alamosa NWR as <br />mitigation for construction and operation effects within project boundaries. <br /> <br />2. Blanca WHA. Construction of the conveyance channel through <br />1.3 miles (about 50 acres) of the eastern portion of Blanca WHA will damage <br />about 4,000 feet of existing dike and 10 waterfowl nesting islands in one pond. <br />Although the effect of drawdown of the water table on Blanca WHA will not be <br />immediate, the overall long-term effect will determine the use of waters pro- <br />vided and their placement for maximum beneficial use. Placement of the con- <br />veyance channel will also affect the distribution of waters provided. <br /> <br />G. Cultural Resources. The 1979 FES included specific plans to assure <br />compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act and other legislation. <br />Specific cultural resources effects ~ere impossible to identify in 1979 since <br />the project is to be constructed in stages and the design of project features <br />is flexible. The locations of all Stage 1-2 project features have now been <br />designated. All of these areas to which access was permitted have been <br />inspected for the presence of cultural resources. <br /> <br />The 1979 FES specified that the conveyance channel in Stages 1-2 and 3 was the <br />area of greatest potential impact to cultural resources. The entire area of <br />the preliminary alinement of these features has been inspected and the initial <br />evaluation of all located cultural reSources completed. The Bureau made a <br />commitment to develop a comprehensive research design. This design is based <br />on evaluation of the initial 7,000 acres of survey made in 1979 and 1980 and <br />provides a context and framework for all project mandated cultural resource <br />investigations. <br /> <br />Certain minor modifications in project design have been incorporated since the <br />1979 FES. The supplemental review process will also provide the opportunity to <br />present cultural resource concerns related to those modifications. <br /> <br />Historic period cultural resources of the project vicinity--other than isolated <br />finds--include ranches, homestead sites, and irrigation canals. Project <br />construction will not affect these resources. <br /> <br />The Stage 1-2 plan detailed in the 1979 FES is essentially complete. This plan <br />was approved as "appropriate" and "adequate" by the SHPO. Provided this plan is <br />successfully implemented, no adverse effects to significant cultural resources <br />in Stage 1-2 are anticipated as a result of project construction. The Bureau <br />will (1) survey areas to which access was denied or made difficult (48 acres); <br />(2) monitor all construction activities where significant discoveries are a <br />possibility; and (3) perform any additional investigations as required. <br /> <br />The Bureau has completed the initial steps of the Cultural Resource plan pre- <br />sented in the 1979 FES for Stage 3. The area of maximum potential adverse <br />effect (the preliminary conveyance channel alinement) has been intensively sur- <br />veyed, and the preliminary assessment of located cultural resources completed. <br />Stage 3 lateral canals and well field areas will be surveyed in 1981. <br /> <br />m <br /> <br />( .. ~. G S t1 <br />'-...) i.._ <br />