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<br />, , <br /> <br />, """ <br />N <br />"0 <br />o <br />c.") <br />o <br /> <br />production. Additional water available in Mack and Reed Washes during <br />the irrigation season would benefit biological production of aquatic <br />invertebrates and fish in the washes. Conversely, the decreased flow <br />in drains and washes during the winter due to decreased ground water <br />recharge from canal seepage would provide less capacity for overwintering <br />of fish in these habitats. Winter flows in Reed Wash downstream from <br />Stage One could be reduced by 25 percent. <br /> <br />, <br />, <br /> <br />Following the development of Stage One, wasting more water into <br />Highline Lake because of reduced canal seepage during the irrigation <br />season would result in improved water quality and fishery conditions <br />in the lake but could also cause losses of fish over the spillway and <br />through the outlet works. <br /> <br />Construction would temporarily disturb wildlife because of noise, <br />dust, the movement of men and equipment, and the temporary destruction <br />of vegetation in work areas. The construction activity would be very <br />mobile and any given location would be directly affected for only a <br />short time. <br /> <br />About 270 acres of wildlife habitat would be changed because of <br />Stage One construction. About 45 acres of edge habitat between fields <br />and laterals would probably be converted to crops or less dense edge <br />habitat after the laterals were put in pipe. Populations of wildlife <br />utilizing the agricultural habitat could be reduced by 35 percent. An <br />estimated 90 acres of sparse saltbush and 10 acres of greasewood north <br />of the Government Highline Canal would be temporarily disturbed by con- <br />struction of cross-drainage facilities and materials excavation, but <br />these disturbed areas would be reseeded with drought resistant species <br />of value to wildlife and should eventually regain their present value. <br />Fifteen acres of marsh would be dried up by the elimination of canal and <br />lateral seepage and would probably be replaced by greasewood through <br />natural succession, and this would alter the species composition of the <br />area's wildlife. Approximately 100 acres of small marsh areas are <br />expected to be somewhat lowered in quality for wildlife because of a <br />reduced water supply, even though it would continue to exist as marsh. <br />By the same token, the wildlife quality of about 10 acres of cottonwood <br />type vegetation near Hack Wash may deteriorate because of reduced water <br />supplies. The above impacts would affect only a small percentage of <br />wildlife habitat and populations in the valley. <br /> <br />Management of the acquired wildlife area should increase the carrying <br />capacity of that area for species adapted to it. It is expected that the <br />construction of Stage One would reduce the populations of some wildlife <br />species while increasing the numbers of other species, depending upon <br />their habitat requirements. Among those that might experience some reduc- <br />tion are pheasant, meadowlarks, dov~s, blackbirds, rabbits, muskrats, and <br />/l.I1\phibians. Species that should exhibit slight increases as river wood- <br />land is acquired and properly managed for wildlife include waterfowl, song <br />birds, magpies, l'aptors, furbearers, and mule deer. River bottom areas <br />which are properly managed support higher populations and a greater <br /> <br />C-3 <br />