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SUMMARY (Continued) . Wetlands and flood plains The unit could adversely affect up to 90 acres of riparian habitat downstream of the collection wells on Hanksville Salt Wash, a length of approximately 4.5 stream miles. Any loss to the wetland habitat would be compensated by the vegetation monitoring program and the improvement of existing riparian habitat adjacent to Muddy Creek by fencing up to 4.5 miles of the creek. Because habitat losses would be replaced, tne recommended plan fulfills the directives under Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands. The unit facilities would not affect the existing flood plains under the provisions of Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management, because of facilities design and the minimal amount of water removed. Fish . Under the no-action alternative, none of the unit-induced impacts would occur and existing conditions would be expected to prevail. Although, under the recommended plan, 2.5 cfs of Hanksville Salt Wash flow would be removed, causing periods of complete dewatering in the wash, impacts to aquatic life would be negligible because such life is very limited as a result of poor existing water quality and erratic flow. Fish would be prevented from migrating upstream into Hanksville Salt Wash from the Muddy Creek except during precipitation runoff. Because, as noted above, Emery South Salt Wash sustains no fish population, tne loss of 0.25 cfs would have no impact on fish. Although 2.75 cfs of water would be removed from Muddy Creek, no aquatic impacts would be expected to Muddy Creek, the Dirty Devil River, or Lake Powell because of the minimal loss of flow. Threatened and endangered species . The no-action alternative would have no effect on threatened and endangered species in the unit area. In September 1985, Reclamation 's biological assessment of endangered species concluded that the recom- mended plan would not affect the black-footed ferret, the Colorado River squawfish, or the razorback sucker. The FWS provided a biological opinion on the unit which substantiates the assessment made by Reclama- tion. Further, the FWS agreed that since the specific location of unit facilities has not been identified, the final location of features is still somewhat flexible. Reclamation agreed to provide a complete sur- vey of the Wright fishhook cactus along the proposed rights-of-way and wherever facilities would be located. Based on these surveys, construc- tion activities would be modified to avoid areas where cactus are found, thereby preventing any impact on the species. If features could not be placed in such a manner as to avoid the cactus, then formal consultation with the FWS would be reinitiated. The plant species Townsendia aprica, recently added to the Federal listing of threatened species, will be included in the plant survey which would be conducted prior to any con- struction activities. S-19 002327