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<br />3058 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />d. Vegetation.--The reservoir area portion of the Arkansas <br />River Valley supports heavy stands of cottonwoods along <br />the river banks and flood plain while pinon pine and juniper <br />are interspersed on the slopes, bluffs, and uplands, (See <br />figure 7 - Typical Vegetation), Ground cover consists of <br />short native grasses capable of supporting only low density <br />cattle grazing, The vegetative cover of the open flat plains <br />surrounding the reservoir site has deteriorated because of <br />years of overgrazing and subsequent sheet, wind and water <br />erosion, Soil eroded from these lands has contributed to <br />the turbidity of the Arkansas River. (See Figure 8 - Deteri- <br />orated Range). Hill tops and flat open plains include low <br />growing short grasses including blue gramma, three awn and <br />galleta. <br /> <br />, <br />Low stony hills, gullies, and washes have better grass <br />vegetation cover in a higher state of vigor due to greater <br />water availability, more favorable site and less accessi- <br />bility to grazing animals. Species include Indian Ricegrass, <br />Sideoats Gramma, Sand Dropseed, Canadian Wild-Rye, Alkali <br />Sacaton, Western Wheat, Silver Bluestem, Needle-and-Thread <br />Grass, and Little Bluestem. Forbs prevalent to the area <br />include Yucca, Prickly Pear, Cholla or Candelabra Cactus, <br />Russian Thistle, Croton, Sunflower, Curly Cup Gumweed, flat <br />and Sand Sage, Rabbit Brush, and fourwing saltbush, flood <br />plain areas have some Western Wheat grass established. <br />Volunteer stands of forage crops dot the valley floor. <br />River bottom areas include stands of Cottonwood, Tamarisk, <br />Willow, and occasional Russian Olive. A more complete <br />list of vegetation is contained in Appendix C. <br /> <br />e. <br /> <br />fish and Wildlife.--The Arkansas River sustains a low <br />qual1ty warm water fishery in the area of the proposed <br />reservoir, Most of the fishing in the 35-mile reach of <br />river between Canon City and Pueblo is for Catfish. The <br />83-mile section of river from Pueblo to Las Animas is <br />poor fish habitat due to salinity, depletion of streamflow, <br />deposition of silt and channel scour from floodflows, <br /> <br />In a recent fish survey conducted by the Colorado Game, <br />fish and Parks Division, the fOllowing fish species were <br />found to be present in the Arkansas River within the reser- <br />voir area: Western White and Longnose Suckers, Northern <br />Common Shiners, Plains Sand Shiner, Arkansas River Speckled <br />Chub, Plains Stoneroller, Speckled Dace, Green and Pumpkin <br />Seed Sunfish. <br /> <br />22 <br />