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<br />Numerous species of nongame birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and <br />invertehrates occur in the watershed; many of which are yearlong <br />residents. Information regarding abundance, distribution, and status is <br />generally lacking. The greatest variety of species occurs in and near <br />the irrigated lands. <br /> <br />~;r;;' <br /> <br />Endangered Species <br /> <br />The USFWS furnished the following list of threatened and endangered <br />species that may occur in the project area: <br /> <br />~.~ <br /> <br />Listed Species <br /> <br />.v'- <br /> <br />Bald eagle <br />American peregrine falcon <br />Whooping crane <br />Black-footed ferret <br />Colorado squawfish <br />Humpback chub <br /> <br />Haliaeetus leucocephalus <br />Falco peregrinus ana turn <br />Grus Americana <br />Hustela nigripes <br />Ptychocheilus lucius <br />Gila cypha <br /> <br />Proposed Species <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />None <br /> <br />Socioeconomic <br /> <br />There are an estimated 28,200 acres of irrigated land in Sweetwater <br />County. Some 18,370 acres are within the Big Sandy River Unit. <br /> <br />During the 12-year period 1962-73, the Big Sandy River Unit Project <br />served an average of 84 farms with a total population of 279 people. <br />The average irrigated acreage during this period was 14,556, averaging <br />173 acres per farm. The gross value of agricultural production per farm <br />was estimated to be $7,508 or $43.40 per acre. This relatively low <br />gross value is one reason for some 79 of the 84 operators currently <br />being part-time farmers. <br /> <br />Off-farm employment is generally considered by many local farmers as <br />their primary source of income, with hay production for livestock only <br />supplemental. The following from the County and City Data Book, 1977, <br />Bureau of the Census, depicts the type of businesses and economic level <br />in Sweetwater County: <br /> <br />0:..,1148 <br /> <br />f~ <br /> <br />2-23 <br /> <br />l" <br />