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<br />oaor32 _ <br /> <br />20 <br /> <br />About 100,000 acres of wetlnnd habitat occurs within the wnter <br />sulnlg(' are!l. During wt't years the brushlund nreas from Russell <br />Lukes southeast to Sun Lui~ Lllkl' contnin many small potholes. <br />Seepage and runoff from irrigation nnd artesian wells crcllte extensive <br />1ll1lfsln- un'us. The largest llcn'agt' of l11'sting- huhitut in the waler- <br />:'jlllvage areu ('onsists nfbrushland, although Ihltin'. hny meadows llnd <br />grnsshlIlds 11bo provide SQIIlt' JH-'sting t'o\"cr. <br />The project urea contnill~ un importnnt Se~lllellt of the waterfowl <br />hahitllt within the rcntral tlVWU\-. ~lunY ducks use the arell nllllllllllv <br />for nesting. resting, Itlld feeding. during fnll llnd spring Illigration~. <br />The mnjal' nesting durk is the malinI'd, followed by smaller popula- <br />tions of glltIWllll~, pint.uil~, cinnamon teul:-::, green-winged tellls, blue- <br />winged teub, sho\-elers, und bnldpMes_ A few coots uno shorebirds also <br />neBt ill the llreu. <br />During the spring migratioB thousands of ducks llnd geese stop to <br />rest on the open wllter llreas und feed on llqUlltic \'egetation or wuste <br />gruin from neurby st.ubble fields_ ~Inn.r species. of shorebirds lIse the <br />ureu during mignltions. The Rio Grande Ulld seep nrellS cllt1~ed by <br />springs pro\-ide habitat for Ulnny ducks thll.t spend the winter months <br />in the Yfillev. <br />'Ynterfo\\'! production i~ highly \-uriable, being high during years of <br />good moisture eOllditions when productiotl is estiJJwted to be llbout <br />25,000 ducks Hnd is reduced to ubollt 5,000 ducks Hnnuully during <br />drought- yenr:-i. It is estimated thut without the projeet 1m average of <br />nboul 4,000 nesting pnirs of ducks would prodtH.'c- 12,000 young <br />unnunl1y in the water s.ah-nge nrell. <br />'YI\terfo\\-1 hunting in the project nrea is excellpnt with mnllards <br />providing mo~t. of the take. Over the period of nnnlvsis, about. 2,200 <br />lIlan-days of wat.erfowl hunting' ClllI be {'xpeeted ,ultlliully in the water <br />salvage arpn.. In lldrlition, becnuse of the wide distribution of wet <br />gfll~s-and open wnter 11n'us and the iLssodlltf'd wildlifp, about 1,000 <br />mflll-duys wOllld be eXJll'nded in wildlife-oriented llcti\"it.ies such us <br />wildlife photogrnphy, llat.ltre stud iI's, nnll binl wlltching. <br />Beavers, minks, llluskrllts, flH'coons, coyot.es, and foxes are common <br />in the project nrens_ I-Iowen'r, little in'u'rest is shown in trnpping <br />tlH's{' nllimnb for their pdt.... unci this lIse {'llll be expedNI to rel11nin <br />so without the project. <br /> <br />With the project <br /> <br />Effects of the projf'ct. on big game unci related hunting opportunities <br />would bp minor. <br />UndC'T project conditions. the natin' \"('gt'tation on the 100.000- <br />neri' water-snlnlg(' llr{'!\ would IH' cleprin.d of ground wutpr. ~lost of <br />the n'gl'tntio!l would bf' rPf!tlcpi! in \-igor nnd thp lIpluntl-gumt' hahitat <br />ill tlw projpe.{ arf':l would 1)(' grl'atly rpdun'd. There would b(' II smull <br />lllllOunt of uplnlld-gllllw hUTlting rl'mnining nround tlw edgt-' of tilt-' <br />projet't arpa. This woultl amount to 1lhnut 600 mlln-t1nys iHlllunlly <br />('ompri~illg 100 Ill1\1l-duys of plH'lt:'llnt hunting, 100 m11ll-d:l'y~ of dove <br />hunting, and ubout 400 1l11tll-tlllYS of rllbbit hunting. Thu~ the wuter <br />