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<br />000851. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />(iv)The re-established flood regime will provide the environmental conditions <br />necessary for the recruitment of certain riparian plant species such as <br />cottonwoods and willows, <br />(v) The net result will be the holistic restoration of a dynamic, self-sustaining <br />wetland/riparian ecosystem. <br />(d) Reclamation will ensure the protection of the existing and newly established <br />riparian functions and values for the life of the ALP Project by controlling <br />access, monitoring and applying restrictions to use of the mitigation area and <br />other measures as deemed necessary. <br /> <br />c) Monitoring: In order to establish a baseline Reclamation has inventoried and mapped <br />wetland/riparian communities within a I-mile wide corridor along the Animas and La <br />Plata Rivers. Also, Reclamation completed an analysis for the wetland/riparian <br />communities located within the construction limits of Ridges Basin Dam and Reservoir <br />and along Basin Creek. <br />i) Animas River: <br />(1) Within the Animas River corridor, construction of the Project will have limited <br />impacts to wetland/riparian habitat. Most impacts will be temporary, resulting <br />from the construction of buried water conveyance structures. The effectiveness of <br />the avoidance/minimization measures, to protect wetland/riparian habitat from <br />construction-related erosion and sedimentation and to revegetate temporarily <br />disturbed wetland/riparian habitat, will be monitored through the administration <br />of Project's construction contracts stipulation and permit requirements, <br />(2) Operation of the Project may have minor effects to wetland/riparian habitat <br />within the river's zone-of-influence including reduced cottonwood recruitment. <br />Reclamation will monitor the Animas River riparian corridor to help determine <br />any affect of the pumping regime on these downstream resources. The objectives <br />of the monitoring will be to evaluate whether flow reductions affect the <br />hydrological conditions supporting wetland/riparian habitat and/or the fluvial <br />geomorphic processes necessary for the recruitment and persistence of <br />wetland/riparian plant communities within the river's zone-of-influence. Before <br />Project pumping begins more up-to-date baseline information will need to be <br />obtained, Sampling stations will be placed within the zone-of-influence within <br />delineated river segments, Wherever possible, monitoring areas will overlap with <br />those for other resources. Once Project operation begins, sampling will be <br />conducted on a three to fi ve year interval until trends in the vegetation can be <br />established, <br />ii) Upland Habitat: <br />(1) Monitoring of this area will take place to determine if enhancement measures (to <br />increase carrying capacity) on the mitigation property are being successful and to <br />evaluate uplands mitigation success, Annual visual assessments will be made <br />along roads, trails, fence lines and at wells to evaluate functionality of each <br />feature and ensure to that weed control is effective and native vegetation <br />establishment is still viable. Reclamation will prepare an annual summary <br />progress report for the uplands habitat enhancement work. Once enhancement <br /> <br />15 <br />