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<br />0032;J5 <br /> <br />TASK 6.C--ENVIRONMEl\"TAL IMPAcrS ANALYSIS <br /> <br />Purpose <br /> <br />This task will incorporate an appraisal level analysis of the environmental impacts asso- <br />ciated with the recommended plan. <br /> <br />Responsibility <br /> <br />BIOfWEST will be responsible for this task. <br /> <br />Approach <br /> <br />The study team will undertake the following activities: <br /> <br />1. Given detailed project descriptions and operation scenarios for the recom- <br />mended plan, appraisal level analyses of environmental impacts will be identi- <br />fied. This Will be performed for onsite and downstream offsite impacts of <br />project construction, operation, and maintenance. This appraisal level analysis <br />will be performed through a systematic matrix that lists each environmental issue <br />and attaches a significance level appraisal, in a system recommended by Haug, <br />et al. (1984a, 1984b) for use with the National Environmental Policy Act. This <br />appraisal level of analysis will be conducted for the disciplines: terrestrial wild- <br />life, fisheries resources, water quality, aquatic life, land use, vegetation, wetlands, <br />and endangered species. <br /> <br />2. This task will specifically evaluate compatibility of the recommended plan with <br />the endangered fishes of the upper basin (i.e., colorado squawfish, humpback <br />chub, bonytail chub, razorback sucker). The impact of construction and various <br />scenarios of operation and maintenance will be evaluated relative to what is <br />known of the life history and requirements of these endangered fishes. This will <br />include an assessment of the potential of operation scenarios to enhance habitat <br />through flow augmentation or modification to deliver water to essential regions <br />cR'r~crineahime~period~ee"g;;spawningin-JulyanduAugust).. This analysis will also <br />include an assessment of each component of the recommended plan relative 10 <br />areas of known or suspected occupation by the endangered fishes. Tnis proxim- <br />ity analysis will be critical in order to identify onsite and offsite impacts of con- <br />struction and operation on habitat of the endangered fishes. Another important <br />aspect of this analysis will be an assessment of the impact of temperature <br />regimes resulting from the project on downstream endangered fish habitat. <br />Changes in temperature regime have the potential of affecting timing of spawn- <br />ing, survival of eggs an larvae, and eventually cohon strength and population <br />size. A key element of this task will be an impact assessment on recommended <br />flows developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Yampa River. <br /> <br />30 <br /> <br />DENI800PI033.51 <br />