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Watershed Resources species are cottonwood, ash, elm, willow, and boxelder. Stands are usually well-stocked and provide livestock shelter and wildlife habitat. The vegetative cover varies from 65 to 8'0 percent ground cover. Another area of rangeland occurs on the lowlands in the South Platte River Valley. This land, of a lesser extent in acreage than the above, consists of Salt Meadow and Sandy Meadow range sites. These are inter- mingled with irrigated crop and hayland. . Endangered species within the watershed include two birds and one mammal. These are the American peregrine falcon (Falco ere rinus anatum), the artic peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus tundri~ , and the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes.) Field sitings of these species are extremely rare. No Wetlands Types 3, 4., and 5 as described in the U.S. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Circular 39, Wetlands of the United States will be affected by the project. Economic Data Land ownership in the watershed consists of private and state owned lands in each state as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Culorado---~--" ----tlebraska-- ----'fuldl Acres Acres Acres Ownership Private State Lands 29,089 2,620 31,085 3,920 60,174 6,540 Total 31,709 35,005 66,714 Of the state owned lands, about 2018 acres in Colorado are leased to landowners by the Colorado Board of Land Commissioners and 3,920 acres in Nebraska by the Nebraska Board of Educational Lands and Funds. Principal use of these lands are for livestock grazing. The remaining state owned lands in Colorado .consist of approximately 602 acres of grassland in the 893-acre Sedgwick Bar State Wildl ife Area. This preserve is maintained and operated by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Agricultural enterprises date back to about 1859 and are the major source of income in the watershed. The landowners and operators are very progressive and have developed a better-than-average farm and ranch economy. 10