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<br />"",, <br /> <br />onlZ24 <br />< _', "1< " - <br /> <br />,-~ <br /> <br />..,. ,..---,- <br /> <br />"'I;- "', <br /> <br />--...-~"-~.........,......,.....---~- .. - <br /> <br />. " <br /> <br />, <br />, ',,- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />" (4) San Luis Lake - Improve and maintain 890 acres of low~ <br />habitat value wetlands at San Luis Lake to high-value wetlands with a water <br />flow sufficient for stabilization. <br /> <br />I <br />, <br /> <br />A flow-through water system, using about 6 ft 3/s, from Head Lake and 4 ft 3/s <br />from the east of San Luis Lake, would be provided as a part of the project to <br />help stabilize San Luis Lake at about 890 surface acres. The use of this <br />water source, in addition to water incoming from the Head Lake vicinity, would <br />provide about 890 acres of high-value wetland habitat as replacement for the <br />existing low-value wetland habitat. <br /> <br />(5) Russell Lakes - Improve 2,998 acres of existing wetlands <br />in the Russell Lakes area by purchase in fee and management of such lands along <br />with appurtenant water rights. <br /> <br />A total of 2,998 acres of mid to high-value wetlands in Russell Lakes could be <br />developed, maintained, and improved with management. About 1,900 acres of wetland <br />habitat now exists in the area. Wetland improvement would be accomplished by <br />purchase in fee title of about 3,120 acres of private land and transfer of about <br />1,520 acres of lands under the administration of the State of Colorado. The waters <br />necessary for the improvement and maintenance of existing wetlands would be obtained <br />as water rights appurtenant to land acquisition. No additional water from the <br />project would be required. A detailed plan for maintaining or improving Russell <br />Lakes WMA wetlands has not been developed. The CDW will administer the develop- <br />ment and maintenance for which funding is included in the mitigation plan. <br /> <br />d. Vegetation <br /> <br />Approximately 11,098 acres of land within the project boundaries could experience <br />a varying degree of reduction in plant vigor and density due to pumping drawdown <br />of the existing water table. The effect on vegetation will be most severe in the <br />immediate vicinity of the individual pump well location; however, the effect will <br />also occur in areas of very shallow water tables. <br /> <br />(1) Mitisation Pol icy - The 11 ,098 acres are in the "Resource <br />Category 3" classification ased on recent mitigation policy rulemaking <br />(Federal Register, September 9,1980 and January 23,1981.) <br /> <br />(a) Resource catefiory 3. Defined - "Resource Category 3" <br />lands are basically defined to be "of hig value for important species" and are <br />"relatively abundant in the ecoregions of concern." Replacement of these lands <br />should be accomplished so that there is no net loss of total habitat value. It is <br />not necessary, however, to replace habitat losses with the same kind of habitat. <br />Based on the above criteria, the habitat values of 11,098 acres of low-value lands <br />affected by drawdown pumping within the project boundaries would be replaced with <br />6,417 acres of lands with improved habitat values due to nearby wetlands and <br />ponded waters. The 410 acres of lands in the Blanca WHA on which vegetation will <br />be affected by drawdown pumping would be replaced with about 300 acres of land <br />in the W 1/2 sec. 4, T. 38 N., R 12 E., and maintained and improved with the <br />development and use of 102.5 acre-feet of artesian water annually from appurtenant <br />water rights. <br /> <br />" <br />, I <br />j <br /> <br />..J <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />~, <br /> <br />(2) Replacement of Habitat Value - Replacement of the habitat <br />value of the 11,098 acres of affected lands in the project area would be accom- <br />plished as follows: <br /> <br />23 <br />