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CHAPTER III ALTERNATIVES Lateral Improvements Lateral improvements would generally consist of replacing unlined lateral reaches in the Stage Two area with buried pipe that approximately follows existing alignment and grade. Approximately 700 individual lat- erals are included in the Stage Two area with a total length of about 490 miles, of which 63 percent or 308 miles are presently unlined and would be placed in pipe. Pipe laterals would be installed except in cases where hydraulics preclude their use; in such cases, the laterals would probably be concrete lined. The pipe sections would range from 6 to 48 inches in diameter. Ex- isting structures, such as drops, road crossings, flumes, turnouts, and canal headgates, would be replaced or removed if not needed. The lat- erals would not be fenced; however, any existing fence removed during construction would be replaced after construction if requested by the landowner. The lateral system improvements are summarized in Table 7. Fish and wildlife measures The Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended habitat replacement measures to compensate for wildlife habitat losses resulting from imple- menting the entire Grand Valley Unit. Based on these measures, the rec- ommended plan includes the following items. 1. Approximately 1,360 acres of private and Federal river bottom land along the Colorado River near the Fruita-Loma area would be purchased or withdrawn. This acquisition would occur in the second year of construction. Near the middle of the construction period, an additional 730 acres of similar land would need to be acquired. This also would be river bottom land in the Fruita-Loma area or between Fruita and Grand Junction. The lands, which would involve more than 5 miles of Colorado River frontage, would be transferred to the Colorado Division of Wildlife for man- agement. The unit would provide operation and maintenance funds to the .Colorado Division of Wildlife for management activities. Reclamation would be responsible for improve- ments to the land under the salinity control unit, includ- ing habitat development, fencing, access, and parking con- trol. Public access and preservation of the Colorado River bottom lands would be emphasized. Permanent ponds and marsh areas would be developed. Food plots would be estab- lished for wildlife, and riparian woodland areas would be expanded and preserved. 2. All federally owned lands disturbed by construction would be landscaped and revegetated under plans developed jointly by the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Manage- ment, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Colorado Divi- sion of Wildlife. 26