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<br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />Chapter 6 <br /> <br />Wildlife <br /> <br />6.1. OVERVIEW OF <br />WILDLIFE ISSUES AND <br />OBJECTIVES <br /> <br />Several wildlife issues and concerns were <br />identified and discussed during the planning <br />process: <br /> <br />Wildlife Issues <br /> <br />· Possibly in-sufficient instream flows for <br />fish and wildlife <br />· Maintenance of quality aquatic habitat <br />· Poor water quality due to pollutants and <br />sediment <br />· Diminishing riparian habitat <br />· Lack of wildlife solitude during critical <br />times <br /> <br />In response to the identified issues and <br />concerns, and in support of the goals for <br />the Plan, the following objectives were <br />developed: <br /> <br />Wildlife Objectives <br /> <br />1. Improve Aquatic Habitat and <br />Productivity of the Fishery <br /> <br />2. Maintain and Increase Riparian Habitat <br /> <br />3. Minimize Wildlife Disturbance during <br />Critical Times of the Year <br /> <br />6.2. BACKGROUND <br />Public Opinion <br /> <br />In a statistically valid survey done in 1993, <br />Eagle County asked a question, "What makes <br />the quality of life so high in Eagle County?" <br />One of the top reasons people said that they <br />enjoyed living in the area was because of the <br />abundance and visibility of wildlife. A majori- <br />ty of the wildlife in the Eagle Valley use the <br />habitat associated with the Eagle River or <br />one of its tributaries, at least some time of <br />the year. <br /> <br />Eagle River Watershed <br />Habitat Attributes <br /> <br />The Eagle River basin is a fairly unique river <br />system. Of river systems in northern industri- <br />alized nations less than 25% of the major <br />river systems flow freely. The Colorado River <br />is the most affected system in North America. <br />The Colorado's waters have been manipulat- <br />ed by damming and diverting and have <br />caused "highly fragmented" populations of <br />species living in and around the river <br />(Dynesius and Nilsson, 1994). In-stream <br />manipulations are not the only cause of frag- <br />mentation. Manipulations of the habitat sur- <br />rounding the rivers also create impacts. <br /> <br />The area influenced by the high water table <br />including the banks of the river and the adja- <br />cent vegetation are defined as riparian <br />ecosystems. Riparian ecosystems constitute <br /> <br />43 <br />