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<br />01)0371 <br /> <br />constrained maximum reservoir drawdowns to 10 feet and 20 feet during the summer and <br />winter months, respectively. <br /> <br />Recreational Uses <br /> <br />Future recreational use of an enlarged Elkhead Reservoir is expected to increase over <br />current conditions. This increase would be due to both an increase in regionaI popuIation and <br />more favorable recreational opportunities at the enlarged reservoir. Improved recreational <br />opportunities at the enlarged reservoir would result from better boating access around the <br />reservoir perimeter and greater water surface area. In addition, sport fishing opportunities <br />would improve with implementation of sport fishery management options discussed in a Iater <br />section of this report. <br /> <br />Hydro-Electric Power <br /> <br />In consideration of the flow-head relationship for the enlarged Elkhead Dam and <br />Reservoir, it may be feasible to construct a hydroelectric generation facility as large as 2 MW <br />at this project. At the 20 % flow exceedance level a maximum flow for such a facility would <br />be approximately 380 cfs. Although the project could be built large enough to generate 2 <br />MW, initially the project could include only a single 1 MW turbine/generator set until flow <br />conditions justified expansion. A 2 MW power plant could annually generate approximately 8 <br />million KW of energy and an annual gross revenue of approximately $350,000 in January, <br />1993 dollars, <br /> <br />THREATENED, ENDANGERED AND CANDIDATE SPECIES <br /> <br />Terrestrial Species <br /> <br />Bald Eagle IHaliacetus luecocephalusl <br /> <br />The Bald eagIe was listed as endangered in 1978 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. <br />Bald eagles are conunonly seen in the winter along the Yampa River in the areas upstream and <br />downstream from Craig. The large cottonwood trees andpatches of open water along the river <br />provide excellent winter habitat for baId eagles, The presence of Bald eagles along the Yampa <br />in winter suggest that it is likely that they would occasionally be found in the areas around <br />Elkhead Reservoir. Use of the area would be more likely in late fall and earIy winter before <br />the reservoir surface freezes. During mid-winter, it is not likely that Bald eagles would be <br />present in the area. The small number of Iarge cottonwood trees around the reservoir Iimit the <br />number of roosting or resting sites, There. are no known nest sites in the vicinity of EIkhead <br />Reservoir; however, at Ieast three confirmed nest sites occur aIong the Yampa River (Andrews <br />and Righter, 1992). Use of the Elkhead Reservoir area is probably Iimited to occasional <br />individuals that would be moving through the region. <br /> <br />Peregrine Falcon IFalco peregrinusl <br /> <br />The Peregrine falcon was listed as endangered in 1970 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife <br />Service. In Colorado, Peregrine faIcons are considered to be rare migrants (Andrews and <br />Righter, 1992), however there are approximately 60 nest sites in the State. It is possible that <br />Peregrine falcons could occasionally be seen in the vicinity of EIkhead Reservoir, but these <br />would likely be individuals that are passing through in migration (April and May in the Spring <br />and September through December in the fall), There are no known nest sites in the vicinity of <br /> <br />7 <br />