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'. . 10 ,Recommendations Although it is our opinion that the project will not jeopardize the continued existence of the American peregrine falcon, we do believe that it will adversely modify habitat beneficial to the recovery of the species. In addition to requiring that Federal agencies avoid jeopardizing listed species, the Endangered Species Act also requires the Secretary of Interior to use his programs for the conservation of listed species. Therefore, the WPRS and other Federal agencies are to conserve ecosystems upon which listed species depend. Because of our great concern over loss of riparian habitat, we recommend that WPRS acquire, develop, and manage marshland and riparian habitat for the peregrine falcon to reduce impacts from the Dallas Creek Project. We understand WPRS has agreed to acquire 1,000 acres of big game habitat to be managed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW). To date, the WPRS has acquired 650 acres. In recent commmU.cations, the DOW gave verbal approval for tbe remaining 350 acres to be acquired and managed as peregrine hunting habitat. This acreage should be comprised primarily of riparian or marshland of approximately equal portions of marsh and. meadow habitat could be acceptable. These 350 acres, also to be managed by the DOW, should be near the Billy Creek Wildlife Management Area, preferably upstream from the proposed Dallas Creek Dam site. The management of such acreage would satisfy our concern. :Bald Eagle Although a few bald eagles nest in Colorado, most are winter residents. Winter residents arrive in September and the population increases slowly from October through December. The period of highest use is December through March when 400--500 bald eagles are in Colorado. The northern migration begins in late February and most eagles have left Colorado by early April. During the winter of 1978-1979, the Bureau of Land Management (ELM) used fixed-winged aircraft to survey bald eagles along the Uncompahgre River. Three bald eagles were observed in the proposed project area. The BLM will survey the area again this winter. . The WPRS's biological assessment states that 4.6 miles of riparian habitat would be inundated by t~e proposed project, but that the pro- posed project may create bald eagle habitat to compensate for the loss of this riparian zone. We doubt that the reservoir would improve habitat for bald eagles. Habitat suitable for wintering bald eagles should contain large open perch trees near adequate food supplies. Such trees should be free from human disturbance. Many reservoirs in Colorado lack these requirements and use by bald eagles is minimal. The Dallas Creek :Reservoir would be frozen over during winter, offering little prey for eagles. Furthermore, drawing down approximately 50 percent of the reservoir for irrigation probably would prevent establishment of cottonwoods along the shoreline. Lack of cottonwood trees as perch sites and development of homes near the reservoir also would re?uce the value of the area for bald eagles.