WSP07182 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

such species as weasel, skunk, badger, prairie dog, ground squirrel, lizard, and snake. The water quality reaching Trinidad Lake is being impaired, due in part to the present resource management within the watershed. Degradation of the range, grazeable woodland, pasture, and soil resource is occurring at an accelerated rate. The wildlife habitat is also being impacted. The 20,000 Ac. Ft. irrigation pool, as well as the 39,000 Ac. Ft. of the joint-use pool of Trinidad Lake, are being reduced at an excessive rate due to sedimentation. The irrigated land in the area plays a significant role in the economy of the area. The excessive rate of loss of irrigation storage jeopardizes the use of irrigation in the area. There are no known threatened or endangered plants or animals in the watershed. The watershed area is in the historic range for the greenback cutthroat trout, Arkansas darter, gray wolf, grizzly bear, black-footed ferret, and river otter. None of these species are known to exist in the watershed area at this time. However, there are prairie dog towns in the watershed that could provide at least one component of the habitat required for the black-footed ferret. Eagles are known to exist in Colorado, but no concentrated or preferred use areas for eagles have been identified in the watershed area. The Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation conducted a search of the Colorado Inventory of Cultural Resources and found significant cultural features in the watershed. The Town of Cokedale, including the Coke Ovens Site, as well as the bridge over Burro Canyon, is on the National Register of Historic Places. In the event additional sites are identified that may be altered or damaged by project actions, work will stop until the applicable provisions of Public Law 93- 291 and/or Public Law 89-665 have been complied with. Applicable state laws dealing with archaeological and historical site preservation will also be complied with. The ranching industry has a major impact on the Trinidad community. There is concern that the economy will be negatively impacted if the range and grazeable woodland resource is not adequately protected. Trinidad provides both summer and winter recreational opportunities. The water based recreation associated with Trinidad Lake is being negatively impacted by sediment loading. away at an excessive Evidence of this is The soil resource is presently eroding rate generating large amounts of sediment. seen in the pedestaling which is occuring. This sediment is carried by excessive runoff, which is also a concern in regard to maintaining soil moisture. 18