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I I I I I I I I I I OIH1853. wildlife species and shall have such measures as bird and small rodent escape ladders to prevent drowning of these animals in the water structures, (5) Access by the public to the uplands mitigation area will be limited to non- motorized traffic onl y. ii) Wetlands - The 134 acres of wetland/riparian habitat that will be lost at Ridges Basin Dam and Reservoir and lower Basin Creek will be mitigated by protection, enhancement and restoration of (approximately) 200+ acres of wetland/riparian habitat which is located within the La Plata River drainage, A detailed description of the wetland/riparian mitigation and monitoring plan including the reporting requirements are provided in Attachment B. (1) La Plata River Mitigation Area: (a) Protection of riparian reaches currently bordered by riparian vegetation dominated by tree and shrub communities that support diverse fish and wildlife habitat will entail the preservation of existing habitat values. In comparison, restoration and enhancement areas will require much greater management in order to achieve the habitat values presently supported by the preservation reaches. , (b) Enhancement mitigation actions will occur along river reaches where the stream channel and floodplain will not require reconstruction. Typically, these reaches have stream channels and wetland/riparian vegetation that have been degraded by various land management practices, but have the potential to be rehabilitated without the need of extensive earthmoving, Enhancement measures in this areas will consist of: (i) The removal of livestock grazing from the wetland/riparian habitat along the La Plata River. (ii) The control and management of noxious weeds. (iii)The introduction of desirable vegetation by replanting native and desirable woody and herbaceous species in both restoration and weed control areas, (iv)The control of erosion of denuded streambanks, which will serve to restore riparian functions related to stream energy dissipation, sediment deposition and water quality, (c) Restoration will entail a holistic ecosystem approach to rehabilitate river reaches that are in a straightened or braided condition. Typically, the river channels within these disturbed reaches have very little streambank vegetation and are predominantly riffles with few pools. This restoration will require floodplain and stream channel reconstruction within the river's zone-of-influence at a specific reach, (i) Reconstructed stream channels will have the proper profile, dimension, and pattern to fit the geomorphology of a given section of river valley, (ii) Typically, channel reconstruction will entail the re-establishment of a meandering, self-sustaining stream channel that supports an improved ratio of pools and riffles. (iii)The channel will be integrated into a floodplain that will be naturally flooded on a relatively frequent basis (approximately every 1.5 years), 14