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<br />Preservation of Environment
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<br />Coachella Canal divides desert lrom formerly unprOductive areas.
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<br />Reclamation is conducling a selective strip
<br />clearing project in the Cibala Division of the
<br />Lower Colorado River below Palo Verde, Calif.
<br />The study area is a 6.S-mile fringe 01 riparian
<br />vegetation inside the 11000 control levees.
<br />Hydraulic and engineering studies indicate
<br />that a major flood in this area could spill over
<br />the levees. Selective clearing of vegetation
<br />could decrease the chance of this happening,
<br />The study area includes an estimated 700
<br />acres of vegetation: the proposed study would
<br />remove about 180 acres. Vegetation would be
<br />cleared in 5D-, 75-. and 1 aD-foot linear strips
<br />parallel to the Colorado River, If the follow-up
<br />study shows significant impacts to wildlife,
<br />mitigation will be developed, ThO project is
<br />being planned and coordinated with other
<br />State and Federal agencies
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<br />A temporary cooperative program with the
<br />California Department of Fish and Game
<br />(CDFG) to provide water to wildlite has -
<br />improved conditions for deer near the
<br />Coachella Canal during the summer of water
<br />year 1981. The recently-lined canal is an
<br />obstacle and source of significant mortality tor
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<br />deer moving from the Chocolate Mountains to
<br />water in the canal itself or in seeps to the west.
<br />As part of mitigation agreements with the Fish
<br />and Wildlife Service and CDFG, windmill
<br />watering devices are being constructed in
<br />vegetation pockets frequented by the deer on
<br />the east flank of the Algodones Dunes, By the
<br />summer of 1982, with the windmills In
<br />operation, hopes are that the deer will come
<br />to these wells for water, eliminating the need
<br />for the temporary watering program, as well
<br />as significant canal-related deer losses. Other
<br />studies of deer are being conducted in the
<br />Wellton-Mohawk canal area, and in the
<br />ripa.rian lone of the Lower Colorado River.
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