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<br />T~~ irri~3ted wsture., ". <<ell as 3ro~< 3~j~C,,~t tc t~" river, provide
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<br />Settlement in the flood plain is .pane "nd develop<cent, for the """$t
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<br />.0"", .." t land ~ahitat, I<h teh foJ rther add., to ~lle "ild 1 i fe ~nd plant diver< i ty
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<br />psrt, ;,as been for ranching and fIlrmin~ with so"", ,ecre3tional use. The
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<br />ofti" !1<>odplain.
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<br />,'ish ;n~ ac~".. to the river i. " probl~", for the ~eneral p"bl ic. Land
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<br />trend towards houeing for both 8e<1.sonal and penunent occup~ncy in or "~"r
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<br />alon~ the .treara i. Hiv..te ,,~d ijener311y po.ted ~y,ainst uespass.
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<br />I
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<br />the floodplaina<ea is increa..iGg.
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<br />The study area is ...;thin the hi.tori~al range of "e""cal threatened Or
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<br />The unincorporated to"",, of South FQ~k is looated at tile junction of the
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<br />end~ngered species: Rio Grande Cutt"r,"'t, blaCk-faMed ferret, "olverine,
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<br />Rio Grande and South Fork of the Rio GrAnde on U.S. Hi~h"Ay 160 (Navajo
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<br />rlver otter and lynx and is within th..tO.igration route of " stO.all r e-intrO-
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<br />Tuil) "hieh crosses the famous Wolf Creek Pass. This is the lllIIin east-west
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<br />d<.1ced flock of .moopin~ cranes. Peregrine falcon O1ay use the area as
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<br />highway in southwestern Colorado and it handles most of the cO/llII1ercial,
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<br />hunting habitat (ColorAdo Division of Wildlife 1978). Ho..ever, developOlent
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<br />recreational and to<.1rist traffic in this part of the stllte. In 1966, South
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<br />ible e"ception of the pere..rine hlcon, ...UI be found.
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<br />Fork had a population of 200 people. Presently, the popuhtion is 419 "ith
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<br />witl"in the flood plain makes it unlikely thst these species,..ith theposa-
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<br />a projected Jlro..th of sevenl times this amount. The cunent aIld planned
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<br />Some of the '!lost not..ble fish and wildlife spedes found ..ithin the
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<br />housing developments pr01llpted the need for this flood hu..rd study.
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<br />study area would include mule deer, elk, beaver, mu.krat, various ...aterfowl,
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<br />Natural And Beneficial Flood Plain Values
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<br />10n..-billed....rshwren,bluebirds,northern.hrtke,blackbLrdS, tree swallow
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<br />Settlement in the study area has made ser'OUS inroads ;~to th~ "ildlif~
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<br />m~rsh ha..k, American kestrel, shorebirds, ~re~t-~orned o~l, woodpeckers,
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<br />habit..t of the flood plain. 1.0ss of additional riparian, Or Hteamside,
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<br />and i;ray jaY. 'The ""'st co...,on ~nd important fish i. th~ introduced rainbo..
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<br />h~bitBl will continue unle.s development in the flood phin i. abated. The
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<br />At present, due to the relativelyhi..h degree of use and disturbance 1n
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<br />re",aining undeveloped habit..t ill important to tho'e wildlih .pedes th..t
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<br />trout.
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<br />use it on B p<>rmanent bBsis, as well as to those that m.y use it only
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<br />the floodplain, thereappe"rs tobef..wopportunitie. tore.toreittoa
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<br />,ea.onally.
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<br />natural and flood plain values thathave.urvived pnst dnvelopment .
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<br />Curr..ntly, wildlife ha!>itat in the flood phin eon.i.t. of dumps of
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<br />more pri.tine con~it ion. 'l'I1" b<,st that can be done i. to maintain the
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<br />..illow., spruce, narrow-leaved cottonwood, currant, >llder and rose inter-
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<br />The irri~ated pasture. and farmlands, in and i_ediatelv adjacent to
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<br />II
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<br />sper.ed "ithin the irrigated pasture and rangeland. '.!'hese island. of
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<br />the flood plain, are cLassified as importanl far,"hnd.. !!:ven thOLl,>;h these
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<br />vegetation, tied together by the influence of the river, furnish val"able,
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<br />lands are important, th"y do nol meet the Federal crited" requirement. to
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<br />...nJtheonly, remaining wildlif" habitat. At present there i. 4 degree of
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<br />he cla..ifi~d a. "Pt,,.e Fat",hnd.".
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<br />. .
<br />~...~;:t~~C.Ul'''-,
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<br />~ --- ---.. ..
<br />~~..W~~" .."~
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<br />~,eb""" ,"-'u~.,,~
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<br />J~''';''V'''''''L~
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<br />";-,id. v<"vi<ie~ io.
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<br />"Th.. (lo.>ud plai" (pa'l .cu;",;y tl,,, ",~,l.."d !"rt ion lJ~~,1 [or ""stures)
<br />
<br />open spa~~ ..nd wildl ife: t',i~ should be maint.oined_
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<br />al"o _'~<ve" ~~ 4 n~tur~1 fl<>od det~nti",\ Area, sedi..ent or J~hri" trap,
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<br />II
<br />II
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<br />7
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