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Because of the lack of human disturbance and the steep canyon walls, the Crescent site is of particular importance to several species of raptors. Golden eagles nest northwest of the site, and prairie falcons nest east of the proposed reservoir. Prairie falcon eyries were identified in the cliffs downstream from the proposed Crescent damsite. This section of South Boulder Creek has been identified by the Fish and Wildlife Service as an area which supports a naturally reproducing rai nbow trout popul ati on. The Colorado Di vi si on of Wil dl ife found it supports 66 pounds of fish per acre with 98 percent of this being made up of rainbow trout. The Fish and Wildlife Service considers this section of South Boulder Creek to be of high quality and unique for this section of the Front Range (FWS, 1981). South Boulder Creek is classified as a Class III stream under the 1979 Stream and Lake Evaluation System. A Class III stream is a moderate fishery resource. The fi sh popul ati ons were sampl ed downstream from the reservoi r si te. Thirteen fish species were collected with nongame fish being more abundant. Creek chub, longnose dace, white sucker, and stoneroller were the most abundant species present. Three game fish collected were rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and bluegill. The Johnny darter, a species listed as threatened by the State of Colorado, is found in South Boulder Creek several miles downstream of the reservoir site. Fisherman use of South Boulder Creek historically has been light due to the inaccessibility of the canyon. The canyon has become more accessible, and in the future, use is expected to greatly increase. Endangered Species In compliance with the Endangered Species Act, the Bureau of Reclamation requested a list of endangered and proposed endangered species from the Fish and Wildlife Service. The following species may be present in the project area: Endangered and Threatened Species Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus Black-footed ferret (Mustela ni~~ipes) Whooping crane (Grus americana)_' Johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum) E = endangered U = status undetermined T = threatened Federal StateY E E anatum) E E E E E E U T YColorado Division of Wildlife Publication, Essential Habitat for Threatened or Endangered Wildlife in Colorado, 1978. ~/The whooping crane, although not found in the project area, was lncluded Slnce any stream dewatering in the Platte River system may affect the downstream habitat of this endangered species. 14