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N ~ q1 (;> change only slightly.l The land use on the south side of the canal would probably continue to ~ecome more suburban and developed, although little change would be antic~psted north of the canal. More of the farm.ditches would probably be cdncrete lined, and vegetation supported by seepage would be reduced. SUMMARY (Continued) The membrane lifling of the canal under alternative A or B would probably result in only a short-term esthetic impact during construction. After the lining is 40mpleted, canal vegetation would partially return. The more gentle side !slopes of the. 1. in. ed canal may seem. more attractive than the. existing caqal; however, esthetic values of the wetlands along canals and laterals {would be reduced. Trees in these areas would be lost, and the existipgvegetation would.' be replaced naturally by more xeric species such a~ saltbush. Losses of cottonwood trees along lat- erals would be significant estheticslly;the Fish and Wildlife Service (1984) estimates that) 75 percent of the .cottonwoods along laterals would be eliminated. . On the north sidt of the canal, .the detention dike and ditch system would add a new eleme~t to the landscape. The.dike section where Inter- . state Highway 70 cros~es the canal to about 2 miles west of Grand Junc- tion is of special cpncern because ,of' the privately developed land in this area. Additiont-lrevegetation. compatible with tl1ese surroundings would be included herll. . The constructionimaterial sites .and their access roads would tempo- rarily affect an .est~mated 680 acr.eg of,"desert. shrublands. When the sites are closed, th~ topsoil in these .areas, which initially would be stockpiled, would be lrespread to aid revegetation. The sites would be reshaped so they woul4 conform to t.l1e appearance of adjacent, undisturbed areas, and then they "ould be reseeded. Lateral construction under both altern"tives would temporarily af- fect approximately 1 ,~OO acres of' .mainlyprivately owned land; however, there would be a net vegetation. loss along laterals, and the visual quality of the area w~uld be reduced. Cul tural.res'ources Under the no-aciion alternative, routine maintenance and repairs would continue on si4es that are .irrigation system features. Impacts to historic and prehi~toric sites that are under the jurisdiction or con- trol of private inte~est and/or other government agencies are unknown. At the minimum, thes~ impacts would consist of natural deterioration, normal wear and tear,land repair and .maint.enance. By developing al~ernative A or n, the sites located near canal and! or lateral righ.ts-of-Way would be avoided and preserved in their present condition. The Gover.ment Highline Canal is the only site that would be directly affected by l construction.. activities and is also eligible for nomination to the NaJ:ional Register of Historic Places. Construction and other activities las$ociated with the alternatives would not alter S-9