2017-02-03_PERMIT FILE - C1980004 ‎(22)‎

• Permit No: C1980004
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 2/3/2017
• Section_Exhibit Name: Appendix P Water Depletion Estimates
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

APPENDIX P
McClane Canyon Mine Expansion and Fruita Loadout Facility Biological Assessment
• Minimize subadult and adult entrainment at diversion/out-take structures.
• Investigate and provide habitats for all life stages.
• Ensure protection from overutilization.
• Ensure protection from diseases and parasites.
• Regulate non-native fish releases and escapement.
• Control problematic cion=native fishes.
• Minimize risk of increased hybridization.
• Minimize risk of hazardous materials spills in critical habitat.
• Remediate water quality problems.
• Provide for long-term management and protection..
Critical habitat. The FWS designated critical habitat for the bonytail in river channels and
flooded, ponded, or 'inundated riverine habitats that would be suitable for adults and young
(FWS, 1994). Critical habitat within Colorado has been designated on the Colorado River in
Mesa County from Ruby Canyon (Black Rocks River Mile 137), downstream to Fish Ford River
on the Utah -Colorado border (FWS, 1994). The PCEs are the same as critical habitat for
Colorado pikeminnow described, above.
4.3.3.2 Environmental Baseline
Current Status in the Action Area. Apparently, there -are no self-sustaining populations of
bonytails in the'Colorado River Basin. During the 1960s through the early 1980s, adult bonytail
were captured in the Upper Colorado River Basin including the Yampa River, Green River, and
Colorado River mainstem (FWS, 2002c). Irl 1984, a single bonytail was collected on the
Colorado River, at Black Rocks (Kaeding et, all, 1986). Most recently, wild bonytails were
captured in Lake Mohave, Nevada (in 2002)'and Lake Havasu, Arizona (in 1990).
Recent information suggests that floodplain habitats may be more important to survival and
recovery of the bonytai! than originally thought because the last reported concentrations .of the
species in the upper Colorado RivetBasin occurred in,or upstream of alluvial fiver reaches with
substantial floodplain habitat (FWS, 2002c). However, there are no records of their, occurrence
within the Action Area.
Critical Habitat. There is no critical habitat for bonytails in the Action Area in Reed Wash.
Critical habitat has -been designated on the Colorado River from Ruby Canyon (Black Rocks
River Mile 137), downstream to Fish Ford River on the Utah -Colorado border (FWS, 1994). The
confluence of Salt Creek with the Colorado River is approximately 8 miles upstream from Black
Rocks in Ruby Canyon:
4.3.3.3 Effects by the Proposed Action
Direct and -indirect Effects. Water depletions would adversely affect critica_I habitat for the
bonytail. Waterborne selenium appears to affect young bonytails as it affects Colorado
pikeminnows and razorback suckers (Hamilton, 1995). Toxicity effects may contribute to
absence of bonytail reproduction in the upper Colorado River blit definitive evidence has .not
been found. Nevertheless, all of the pathways that the Proposed Action could contribute
selenium to enter waterbodies, discussed above for Colorado pikeminnow, would affect bonytail
recovery in the upper Colorado River system.
Cumulative Effects. As discussed above for Colorado pikeminnow, no State, tribal,.local, or
private actions are reasonably certain'to occur within Reed Wash and the 100-year.floodplain.
Other potential cumulative effects. associated with human population .growth in Garfield and
Mesa counties are expected to generate cumulative effects -to bonytails as described above for
Colorado pikeminnows.
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PR -02 10/12