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<br />_DD_DI3L
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<br />TABLE I.-FISHING IN MAN.DAYS ANNUAllY
<br />
<br />Type and location
<br />
<br />Witl10ut
<br />project With project Gain Of loss
<br />0 ',000 '.000
<br />LOOO 4,000 3,000
<br />IS, 500 25,000 9,500
<br />Looo 15,000 14,000
<br />
<br />Streamfishinl;
<br />Con~e)'ance(.hann,L....._.___.n..""___'_____"'_.""__u,
<br />Rio Grande. COIo___..._..___...._.._____.._._..__..__.._._____
<br />RioGranoe,N.Mu......__._..________....._____.......___._.
<br />Reser~oir Ii$hinl:~n lllisLake...___._..._____..........._.....__.
<br />
<br />WILDLI}o'E
<br />
<br />Withollt the project
<br />
<br />The un'fi of proj(.ct intluenec 011 wildlifn includes about 100,000 acres
<br />bordering the muin conv'~Yllnce channel in Saguache and Alamosa
<br />Counties, Colo.
<br />Two ll11tiollul wildlife refuges arc located in the San Luis Valley.
<br />TIH"Y IlT(' the 13,548-acre ~lontc Vista National 'Vildlife Refuge,
<br />established in 1952 in Alnmosa and Rio Grande Counties, and the
<br />10,358-ncre Alllmosa National \Vildlife Refuge, established in 1963 in
<br />Alamosll County. The primary function of the refuges is to provide
<br />suitable resting: and nesting habitnt for waterfowl and resident upland
<br />game and to provide food and protection for waterfo,,,'1 and sand-
<br />hill cranes.
<br />Another mllllagt>nH'nt. nrpa is the Bureau of Land 1\.lanagcmcnt's
<br />Blanen \Vilrlli(c Habitat Aren, shown on }llnte 1. This nrt~a, now under
<br />d.-.velopment, i~ loented about 9 miles northeast of Alamosa find con-
<br />tnins nbout 5,350 acres that serve the purposes of waterfowl produc-
<br />tion, resting llnd f('{"ding, upland-game production, fishing, find general
<br />outdoor rf'cr(lntioll. Thr {>Illire nrt'll is open to hunting and will provide
<br />consid{'rable fishing, upland-gume and wnterfowl hunting, and other
<br />wildlif(~-oricIlto"\d r('c r('ation benefits nnnually,
<br />The thre(' wildlife I:lreas would not be nffe~ct{'d by the project uxcept
<br />that tht~ wnter supply for t.heAlnmosa Nationll.l \Villllife Refuge would
<br />be impaired.
<br />A few mule deer ltnd antelope fire found in the project nreu, but
<br />hunting for tht>se sptwies i~ minor nnd would be expected to remain so
<br />over t he period of nllulysis.
<br />Pheasunt, mourning dove, cottontail, jnckrnbbit, and chuknr par-
<br />tridge llre the upland-guInt' spt'cit's in the project area. Brushlanu in
<br />Il",,;sociation with some croplnnd tllld wet arens provides moderate
<br />quality hnbitnt for th('se spC'l'ies. Bf'cnuse land use patterns would
<br />not be expected to chan~e in the foreseeable future without t.he
<br />project, upland-game populntions would remain approximately the
<br />same as they urt> at t.he present time. "Tithout the project, it is csti-
<br />mllted that. there would be 3,200 man-duys of upland-game hunting
<br />tmnually in the wut,{'r salvage area. About 1,200 man-days would be
<br />pheasn~t hunting, I,SOO mfilHlays would be rabbit hunting, nnd the
<br />remaining 200 man-days would be do\"e hunting.
<br />Th(. SUIl Luis Yalley is the most im\JOrtllnt wut('rfowl production
<br />area in Colonulo und contains valunb e wintering hllbitat. Studies
<br />have shown thtlt watt'rfowl production in the Sll.n Luis Vnllev is
<br />tlmong tht. ~ntion's highf'st on a squnrt' milt, hn.sis and, consequently,
<br />the \nllley is of importllnce in the nationn,\ migratory bird mnnngcmellt
<br />program.
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