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being common during range evaluation transect studies conducted on • <br />the proposed project surface disturbance areas by BLM (1979). <br />One species of high federal interest, the great blue heron, was <br />observed on a mud flat in the upper most stockpond of Alkali Creek. <br />This species is classified as a breeding bird of the area, although <br />no sign of nesting behavior was observed. DOW (1978c) lists this <br />species as common to the area with estimated populations in <br />suitable habitat being 4 per square mile. Abundance of all <br />sensitive avian species will be greater to the south and west due <br />to existing human activity near the proposed facilities area. <br />3.7.4 Amphibians and Reptiles <br />Within the mine permit area, five species of amphibians and fifteen <br />species of reptiles are listed as breeding populations (Hammerson, <br />1981) (Appendix 3.7-1). During site reconnaissance surveys, only <br />one species of snake was observed, that being a road kill rat . <br />snake. Other members of the NCEC project team have observed <br />garter, green, and bull snakes on the site. The sagebrush lizard <br />and eastern fence lizard were also observed during on-site recon- <br />naissance surveys. <br />3.7.5 Fish <br />Twenty-seven species of fish have been reported from this section <br />of the Colorado River (Beckman, 1992). The most recent and <br />extensive sampling study was conducted for.the West Divide Project <br />in 1977-1978 and collected thirteen species (Burkhart and Lytle, <br />1978). Main species which were collected include flannelmouth <br />sucker, bluehead sucker, white sucker, whitefish, roundtail chub, <br />carp, rainbow trout, and brown trout. Twenty-three stations were <br />sampled between the Grand Valley-Colorado bridge upstream to the <br />Roaring Fork River confluence. For analysis purposed, stations • <br />NCEC - Coal Ridge #1 3-88 ASC/1145/900301 <br />