North Platte - CSU Identification and Assessment of Wetlands_Application

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Water Supply Reserve Account -Gram Application Farm Form Revised May 2007 3, For Applications that include a request for funds from the Statewide Account, describe how the water activity meets the Evaluation Criteria. See Part 3 of Criteria and Guidelines. The North Platte River Watershed watershed} encompasses all of Jackson County and a part or western Lorimer County Figure 1 ?. Currently, little data exists on the location, quantity, type, and condition of the watershed's wetlands. The timing of this prof ect is crucial with the increased demand from major urban areas for water development and storage praj ects Figure Z}. The long-term viability and integrity of the watershed's wetlands are threatened by other anthrapogenic impacts ?e.g., ail and gas,} Figure 3}that could result in the lass of critical wetlands, affecting agriculture, and water qualitylquantity. These wetlands also serve as important water bird breeding areas, wildlife habitat, and refuge for rare amphibians, fish, and plants. Landscape alterations for development purposes threaten the present rural and agricultural character and culture of northern Colorado. This project will focus on private lands that make up 36% of land ownership in the North Platte watershed (Figure 4}. The proposed project will provide an increased understanding of the watershed's wetlands leading to mare effective protection of the area's waters. This project complements the goals of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative and provides baseline data to the Roundtable for its nonWconsumptivenewis assessment. CNHP houses the state's only comprehensive database on rare plants, animals and plant communities, providing scientific data to decision makers since the 198?s. The past few years this information is being used by private parties as well as government entities. For example, in 206 CNH?' was contacted by the Colarada Cattlemen's Association Land Trust to perform a survey in southeastern Colorado. This area has been identified by the Army for an expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. Preliminary results from the 207 survey reveal that this area of Colarada is rich in plant and animal diversity. These data are empowering the citizens with the necessary scientific information to continue to live and work on their property. As in southeast Colorado, this proposal for the North Platte Watershed is designed to provide the citizens of the North Platte River Watershed with the same, scientific data on the range of wetland dependent plants and animals far land use planning and management to balance the needs of natural resources and water developments. The watershed supports every wetland type know in the Southern Rocky Mountain ecosystem, riparian wetlands ?willaw carrs}, fens peat accumulating, ground water fed, alkaline flats, and freshwater marshes. Perhaps mare importantly is that these wetland complexes, presently, are intact and contiguous, providing migration corridors and habitat far animals including aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates}. The wetlands and riparian areas support habitat far several global and state species of concern. From previous studies, mainly on state and federal land, CNHI' has records of the greenback cutthroat trout ?Dncorhynchus clarki stornias), a Listed Threatened species, and the Colorado River cutthroat trout ?nncarhynchus clarki pleuriticus} are globally imperiled as well as listed with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the State of Colorado as threatened or species of special concern. CNHP has several historical records for the boreal toad ?Bufa boreas bareas} and wood frog Rana sylvatica}. These species, as well a.s several globally rare riparian and wetland plant communities would be a priority for the survey. These large, contiguous wetlands are also a focal pant for the increased tourism industry. The tourist industry depends heavily an the large natural areas of the watershed and maintaining them in pristine condition. 5