PROJ00221

• Contract/PO #: FS0017X
• Contractor Name: Ouray, City of
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 0
• County: Ouray
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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.- Pairs are usually present on the nesting cliff by mid-March. Eggs are laid in
early April. The young remain in the area several weeks after fledging in mid-June
to mid-July, during which time they are fed and defended by both adults.
Peregrine falcons have nested approximately one-half mile from the project site.

Whooping crane. The whooping crane (Grus americana) is a Federally and
State-endangered species. The Rocky Mountain population consists of a male and
two female whooping cranes who are not breeding. This population winters from
November through February in the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico. In February
or March, they migrate north to south central Colorado, where they spend 4 to 6
weeks in the San Luis Valley. Whooping cranes continue to their summering
grounds in Idaho and Wyoming from April through September. In October the
whooping cranes return to their wintering area in New Mexico, again flying
through south central Colorado (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1997).

North American Ivnx. The North American lynx (Felis lynx canadensis) is a
Federally proposed to be listed and a State-endangered species. The lynx inhabits
a mosaic between boreal forests and subalpine coniferous forest or northern ,
hardwoods. The lynx is highly dependent on the snowshoe hare for food and will
concentrate their foraging activities where hare activity is high (U.S. Department
of Commerce, 1998)

Colorado is the extreme southern edge of the range of the lynx. Because
Colorado's montane and subalpine forest ecosystems are naturally highly
fragmented, it is likely that the lynx has never been abundant in Colorado (U.S.
Department of Commerce, 1998). Lynx in Colorado are believed to be extremely
rare. A self-sustaining resident population does not exist in Colorado, but
individual animals may be present (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1998).

3.4.2 Environmental Effects. This section describes potential adverse
effects to special status species associated with the proposed streambank
rehabilitation. For this analysis, a significant effect is defined as any "take" of a
special status species or substantial degradation of its habitat. The term "take"
means to harrass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect,
or to attempt to engage in any such conduct (16 U.S.C. ~ 1532(19)).

No Action. Under the no action alternative, the Corps would not undertake
the rehabilitation of the streambank on Skyrocket Creek. Habitat would remain for
the threatened and endangered species that may be found in the project area.

Proposed Action. The proposed rehabilitation of the diversion could affect
the four listed species. The American bald eagle has not been observed nesting in
the project area. Because the nesting season is avoided and due to the short

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