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<br />Fish Creek Reservoir Expansion EIS <br />::&':"~::S:?::-~::;::S;::~$%..w..;::s:::.<..-.~.....~.m:f<...$-::;->>~'.?..:r4M~~~i;:;:f',4:.~m:~;:;~m;$::f.:>>>>;ro::::{;'":<<:;::::<.:.>>>>.'..j:::.::::::"t;:;~@W<<::Mm&,.;':;:;$m: <br /> <br />4.8.2.2 Impacts Common to All Action Alternetivl8 <br /> <br />The potential impacts of Alternatives B or C on wildlife populations can be classified as shon-term <br />and long-term. Shon-term impacts arise from habitat disturbance as well as from construction <br />activities associated with reservoir expansion. These impacts cease upon completion of reservoir <br />expansion and successful reclamation of non-inundated disturbance areas. Long-term impacts consist <br />of permanent habitat changes associated with disturbed and inundated areas irrespective of <br />reclamation success. The major impact categories which would potentially affect wildlife populations <br />are direct habitat removal or a11eration and increased human presence and noise. <br /> <br />Direct Habitat Loss or Alteration - The greatest impact to all wildlife would be the temporary or <br />permanent loss or alteration of habitat. Temporary loss or alteration of habitats would be caused <br />by construction of enlarged dam areas; transponation corridors; a new campground site; inundation <br />by the expanded reservoir; and excavation at borrow sites. Habitat loss or alteration would result <br />in minor losses of smaller, less mobile species of wildlife, such as small mammals and reptiles, and <br />displacement of more mobile species to adjacent undisturbed habitats until construction and <br />reclamation is completed. Existing information regarding wildlife population numbers for these <br />animal groups within the project area is not available, and the magnitude of wildlife losses and <br />displacement is impossible to predict. However, the total extent of habitat loss can be addressed. <br />Long-term or permanent loss or alteration of habitat would result if reclamation effons cannot <br />return disturbed areas to conditions similar to those that were present prior to mining. Where <br />reclaimed and unreclaimed habitats suppon less productive and less diverse vegetation communities <br />than those present prior to project development, the long-term impacts would be negative with <br />regard to re-establishment of wildlife populations to existing condition levels. Areas inundated by <br />the proposed reservoir expansion would result in permanent losses in terrestrial and small stream <br />habitats around the perimeter of the existing reservoir and a gain aquatic lake habitat. <br />Transponation corridor, borrow area, and new campground disturbances would be primarily short- <br />term and be mitigated by reclamation following construction completion. However, based on past <br />reclamation effons on existing borrow areas, newly reclaimed borrow areas are not expected to <br />return to existing levels of vegetation diversity and productivity. <br /> <br />Acreage of disturbed habitat are listed for each development alternative in Table 4-5, Potential <br />Disturbed Acreage by Vegetation Type. Differences in the extent of disturbance and habitats <br />affected relate principally to differences in reservoir expansion size and in the location of <br />transponation corridors, borrow sources, and the relocated campground site. <br /> <br />No loss of critical or imponant habitat for any Federally listed Threatened, Endangered, or Proposed <br />species would occur with Alternatives B or C. The endangered bald eagle and American peregrine <br />falcon occur in the region, but no nesting or imponant foraging habitat of these species would be <br />affected with reservoir expansion (see Biological Assessment, Appendix J). Four endangered fish <br />species (Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, bonytail chub, and razorback sucker) occur <br />downstream of the project area in the Colorado River and its mainstem tributaries. Populations and <br />habitats of these species would not be directly affected by expansion of the Fish Creek Reservoir, <br />but resultant modifications in the timing and quantity of water releases from Fish Creek Reservoir <br />could result in relatively minor changes in downstream flow regimes which could affect these species <br />(see Biological Assessment, Appendix J). <br /> <br />Direct habitat loss has the potential to affect four Federal Candidate (C2) species (wolverine, lynx, <br />nonhern goshawk, and boreal toad) and one state listed Threatened species (wood frog). It is also <br />possible that additional habitat could be created for another Federal Candidate (C2) species, Colorado <br /> <br />~~o:-;<-;<.O;~w.~;:; --::::r-":::;?:'S?~~~:-:{-:-~:;.~~"%"l:~..:':i.W.l:.:~~-::.;::':{~n::::::.:{{;:{>>:&"..:rm,.,w1.>>r;'fJ-i:>>i::,'rm>>:3;:"f{{;$r.@{{(.;;{{;W:<< <br /> <br />Page 4.26 September 1993 <br />