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<br /> <br />. <br /> <br />open to public hunting is severely limited in contrast to the <br /> <br /> <br />Federally-owned Rio Grande National Forest, where much of the big- <br /> <br /> <br />game hunting in Colorado by residents of those States occurs. Demand <br /> <br /> <br />for deer hunting by residents of Colorado as well as by nonresidents <br /> <br /> <br />frcm these two States has been inoreasing for years and is expected <br /> <br /> <br />to oontinue. <br /> <br />Upland game <br />52. The reservoir site provides poor habitat for upland game <br />beoause of the intensive grazing. There are a few dusky grouse and <br />mourning doves. Cottontails, snowshoe rabbits, and jaokrabbits are <br />present in limited numbers and provide some sport for local residents. <br /> <br />Waterfowl <br /> <br />o. <br /> <br />Habitat and Abundance <br />53. The San Luis Valley projeot area, as a whole. is important <br />for waterfowl. but in the high COtmtry, waterfowl favor small irri- <br />gation, fish. and beaver ponds. This type of habitat is limited on <br />the reservoir site. Mallards and gadwalls are the prinoipal speoies. <br />About 40 pairs nest on the area. of which about one-half ocour on the <br />ponds and stream improvements on Bellows Creek. These waters are <br /> <br />extremely productive or fresh water shrimp, other fOnlls of small <br /> <br />animal life, pondweeds. and vegetation of value to ducks. This is <br />almost the entire Souroe of food. <br /> <br /> <br />Waterfowl Utilization and Harvest <br /> <br /> <br />54. Waterfowl arrive in March; some nesting oocurs, and the <br /> <br /> <br />birds leave during October when the shallow water freezes. It is <br /> <br /> <br />estimated that there are 43.200 annual duok-days use on the projeot <br /> <br />31 <br /> <br />115,? <br /> <br />