C153699 Feasibility Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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. WEnAND HABITAT IMPACT #5: Loss of 186 habitat units associated with the GWH model on 825 acres of wet meadow within the project area . Assocla1ed Management Actions: Wetland habitat management actions #1, 2, and 6. Approach: . The existing HSI for the GWH model on the entire study area is 0.225 and is expected to increase to 1.0 through implementation of the management actions. Projected changes in habitat parameters associated with management actions include the following: . 1. Herbaceous cover will increase trom the existing level of 45 percent to at least 90 percent through removal of grazing and restoration of hydrology. 2. Average herbaceous height will increase from the existing level of 13 em to at least 60 em through removal of grazing and restoration of hydrology. . Expected Results: The management actions will result in a gain of 163 GWH habitat units on the mitigation area, which will not fully replace the 186 habitat units lost in the reservoir basin. requiring at least 43 more acres of similar mitigation area to be located around the reservoir basin or adjacent to the mitigation area . SUMMARY . The management actions discussed above would replace all the wetland wildlife values for beaver, yellow warbler, and elk models lost due to construction and operation of the proposed Muddy Creek Reservoir, and would provide a surplus of habitat units for all three species. The lower Muddy Creek mitigation area would not replace all of the habitat units for the GWH model, falling 23 units short. Therefore, at least another 43 acres of mitigation area in the Muddy Creek area needs to be added to the mitigation plan to achieve complete and total mitigation of all wildlife wetland values. BIG GAME . SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND METHODS . Assessment of impacts to big game wintering areas in the project area were based on the acreage of winter habitat, designated by the CDOW (Olsen 1987), that will be inundated by the project. Selection of sites for use in mitigation of potential impacts to winter range were based on recommendations by the CDOW and BLM. . Approximately 1,523 acres of big game winter range will be inundated or destroyed by the proposed reservoir. Acreage and classification of various categories of winter range that could be impacted are presented in Table 7. Loss of winter range will have a significant effect on elk and mule deer populations by increasing intra. and interspecific competition for forage, decreasing the quality of 24 .