WSP00718

• File Number: 8220.116.I
• Description: Fruitland Mesa Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 10/7/1976
• Title: Public Hearing - Draft Environmental Statement - Crawford-Colorado October 7-1976 - ‎(Part 2 of 2)‎
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

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i 1 and considerable knowledge of the project area, we conclude
i 2 that any adverse environmental impact ocoasioned by the pro-
3 ject would be minimal. The Environmental Impact Statement
4 does state that, "Direct habitat losses would result in winte

5 population losses in the range of 400 to BOO deer." This

6 statement is apparently based on the ass~ption that conversio

7 of now dry pasture land to irrigated farm land will reduce .

8 deer forage directly proportionate to the conversion. This

9 assumption is not correct. During the winter months, thousanda

10 of deer congregate annually on irrigated fields within the

11 state of Colorado. As a matter of fact, it is a certainty

12 that a significant number of the deer population on Fruitland

13 Mesa, as shown on B-26 of the report, were counted while they

14. were grazing on irrigated farm l~ds. If irrigated lands are

15 unfit for deer br~dsing, this fact has not yet been communi-

16 cated to the deer herds of this state.

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Nevertheless, the Environmental Impact Statement ass 68

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a possible loss in the winter de or population in the area in

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the range of 400 to 800 deer. To migrate this assumed loss, '. ~
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iiis proposed that approximately 6,900 acres of public lands ~
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withdrawn from the Fruitland Mesa Project become a wildlife i

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management area. About 200 acres of this withdrawal wouid

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be irrigated with project water to provide feed for the deer.

In addition to the dedication of the 6,900 acreS for A. deer

manngementarea, it is proposed that an adjaCent area of

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