C153664 Feasibility Study

• Contract/PO #: C153664
• Contractor Name: Fort Lupton, City of & Fort Lupton Water Utility Enterprise
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 1
• County: Weld
• Bill Number: HB 93-1273
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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Several other birds are candidates for official listing as endangered and
threatened species according to the USFWS. These birds are the southwestern
willow flycatcher (Empidonax trailli extimus), long-billed curlew (Numenius
americanus), white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi), mountain plover (Charadrius montanus),
and black tern (Chlidonias niger),
Many animals are common in a typical plains environment such as the planning
area, Reptiles that are typical in environments similar to the planning area are toads,
frogs, salamanders, and lizards. Typical mammals for plains environments are
rabbits, squirrels, prairie dogs, rats, and mice, According to the USFWS, the black-
footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is the only endangered and threatened species that
might be in the planning area. The candidates for official listing as an endangered
and threatened species that might be in the planning area are the northern leopard
frog (Rana pipiens) and swift fox (Vulpes velox).
The South Platte River in the planning area is typical of stream systems in the
arid west. Water from the South Platte River is used extensively for agricultural,
industrial, and municipal use and is altered by irrigation diversions and return flows.
Typical fish that might be found in the South Platte River at this location include
carp, fathead minnows, and white suckers. According to the USFWS and Colorado
Division of Wildlife, no other protected, endangered, or threatened species, other
than those listed previously, inhabit the planning area,
The area northeast of the City is primarily comprised of a grasslands community,
a portion of which has been converted to agricultural land through irrigation, No
critical habitats or wetlands are present in this area. The overall land use pattern in
the general vicinity of the City is dominated by agriculture, with uncultivated
grassland interspersed and increasingly common toward the east. This type of land
use is not typically utilized by wildlife in large numbers. The overall area, however,
is utilized by migrating waterfowl, who use nearby reservoirs, ponds, and wetlands as
resting and feeding places. Since the nearby South Platte River provides a corridor
for migrating birds and waterfowl, waterfowl may be present during the spring and
fall migrations, particularly in agricultural fields where they may congregate to feed
and rest.

25325,100; 12/07/94

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