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<br />W <br />-J <br />l\') <br />co <br /> <br />7. Fish and Wildlife <br /> <br />a. Fish. - Aquatic habitats of the Colorado River Basin consist of <br />both riverine and lacustrine systems. Sm,all, clear streams and lakes <br />in the mountains drain into the larger rivers of the plateaus and <br />basins. Man's efforts to harness the Colorado River for irrigation, <br />hydroelectric power, and flood control have greatly altered the <br />terrestrial and aquatic habitats. <br /> <br />About 85 fish species occur in the Colorado River Basin, the majority <br />of which are species which have been introduced by man. Habitat <br />alterations along with competition from introduced species have vir- <br />tually eliminated the native fish fauna from many areas of the Basin. <br />The historical distribution of native species is reduced to a point <br />where many native Colorado River species are on the Federal Endan- <br />gered Species list. <br /> <br />b. Wildlife. - The wildlife populations of the Basin are diverse, <br />reflecting the range of available habitats. A listing of common <br />species of birds, mammals, fiSh, reptiles, and amphibians is pre- <br />sented in appendix A of FES 77-15. The rich and varied fauna of <br />the Basin offers abundant opportunity for wildlife enjoyment by <br />sportsmen, photographers, and naturalists. Big game in the Basin <br />include deer, elk, moose, antelope, bighorn sheep, black bear, <br />cougar, and javelina. Numerous small game species include grouse, <br />partridge, quail, pheasant, turkey, dove, rabbit, and waterfowl. <br /> <br />c. Endangered Species. - The Basin contains a variety of endangered <br />flora and fauna. Minimum instream flows are required to maintain <br />suitable habitat. A list of federally listed species in the Basin <br />is given in table 1. In addition to the Federal list, Basin States <br />have their own lists of endangered, threatened, or special status <br />species which are not included. Table 1 also does not include <br />plant species proposed for listing in Federal Register [FR 45(242)J, <br />December 15, 1980. <br /> <br />Outlined on figure 1 are areas known to be utilized by federally <br />listed species based on records since 1960. The letter symbols <br />correspond to the symbol column on table 1. The information is <br />presented to give an idea of where endangered species occur in the <br />Basin. The areas outlined in figure 1 do not represent designated <br />critical habitat. <br /> <br />II-5 <br /> <br />~->'. <br />