2014-02-24_PERMIT FILE - M2014009

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B10- discussions with residents living near the reservoir and received similar information on waterbirds in the area. 2. Fruitgrowers Reservoir: Description The Reservoir lies in the drainage of Alfalfa Run in Hart's Basin, about 3 miles north of Austin, Colorado (Figure 1). The project site ranges from less than 0.25 miles to about 2 miles from the Reservoir, depending on water levels, and adjacent wetlands and farm fields important for reservoir - associated wildlife (Figures 2 and 3). The Reservoir was constructed by the US Bureau of Reclamation in 1938, and in 1940 the Orchard Mesa Irrigation District assumed management of the Reservoir for agricultural irrigation. The Reservoir covers 476 acres when full, behind an earthen rock -faced dam. It intercepts spring runoff directly from Alfalfa Run and by diversion from Surface Creek and Dry Creek, and provides irrigation water to about 2,700 acres of agricultural land (US Bureau of Reclamation 2013). The Reservoir typically fills each spring, then gradually falls through the summer to meet irrigation demands. Fall and winter water levels are usually several tens of feet below crest level at the beginning of summer. Through the years the Reservoir has become an important habitat for waterbirds, including several breeding species and a very large number of spring and fall migrant species (described in the next section). The Reservoir has also become popular for recreation. The Reservoir is closed to water contact sports including swimming, but is used occasionally for hand - powered boating. Some waterfowl hunting occurs in fall, as well as fishing for carp during the spring spawning season. Birding constitutes the greatest recreational use of the Reservoir, which has been described in recent publications as one of the best localities in western Colorado for viewing waterbirds, especially during migrations. The Black Canyon Audubon Society and other partner groups and agencies maintain a signed parking area with an interpretive sign describing the sandhill crane migration. There are two access trails on the southeast shore to facilitate birding, and most of the birding activity occurs on these trails or from the county roads bounding the Reservoir. 3. Fruitgrowers Reservoir: Waterbirds and Other Wildlife Shallow, nutrient rich water in the Reservoir, a variety of aquatic plant communities, and seasonally exposed mudflats provide diverse and food -rich habitats that attract birds to the Reservoir. Submerged plants and floating - leaved plants such as duckweed are abundant in deeper water. Shallow and seasonally exposed shorelines are dominated by emergent wetland plants including bulrush and cattail. These plant communities provide nesting cover and the basis for a rich food chain of plant material, seeds, aquatic invertebrates, and fish (principally introduced carp). Near the upper end of the seasonally saturated zone, meadows of spikerush, rushes, sedges, and saltgrass provide additional habitat diversity. Stands of tall willows, cottonwood trees, tamarisk, and Russian olive occur in many places along the shoreline and the causeway of North Road. These tall shrubs and trees provide many additional niches for birds including nesting substrates and hunting perches for raptors. The Reservoir is noted for the high diversity of bird species present, as a breeding site for species with restricted breeding ranges, as an important migration stopover, and for several bird species of conservation concern. From records kept by birding groups such as the Black Canyon and Grand Valley Audubon Societies, at least 210 bird species have been recorded at the Reservoir. Not every species