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Pale S-12 Summary February 2000 decrease in the habitat effectiveness of the area for deer and elk. Obliteration and reclamation of new temporary roads would restore habitat effectiveness. Impacts to wetlands and riparian habitat, as well as to potential breeding habitat for boreal toad and tiger salamander, would occur if there was construction of a drill site access road along Hubbard Creek. However, there is a Forest Service stipulation that precludes road and pad construction in riparian areas or wetlands. Other impacts to terrestrial wildlife might include the surface effects of subsidence (mainly the creation of surface cracks), a potential increase in train and vehicle collisions with wintering mule deer and elk, and potential changes in bald eagle winter habitat resulting from any Flow reductions in the North Fork of the Gunnison River. S-3.10 Aquatic Resources/Fisheries Existing Conditions -The main section of the North Fork of the Gunnison River is classified as a Class I cold water aquatic life by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. This classification is defined as "...waters that (1) currently are capable of sustaining a wide variety of cold water biota, including sensitive species, or (2) could sustain such biota but for correctable water quality conditions." Game fish species present in the river include rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, and brook trout. Rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout were stocked in the river From 1973 through 1995. Other • game fish species such as northern pike and green sunfish sporadically occur in low numbers in the river; these species likely originate from Paonia Reservoir. Hubbard and Terror creeks support limited trout populations. Trout and native fish species also occur seasonally in the Terror Creek Reservoir and in irrigation ditches; however, drawdown in the Terror Creek Reservoir in the summer restricts year-round habitat for fish. Elk and Bear creeks do not contain game fish species. Four federally endangered fish species occur in river segments located downstream of the coal lease tracts. These include the Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, humpback chub, and bonytail. The Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker presently occur in the Gunnison River. The occurrence of humpback chub is limited to one known recent record in the Gunnison River (1993). No bonytail have been collected in the Gunnison River, this species occurs in the Colorado River and is considered to be the rarest of the four Colorado federally endangered fish species. Environmental Consequences -Short-term, local increases in turbidity and suspended sediments could occur during exploration activities adjacent to Hubbard Creek and Terror Creek if access roads are constructed. These short-term increases in sediment yield could result in short-term affects on aquatic species and their habitat. Sediment concentrations would stabilize and return to typical background concentrations after exploration activities are completed. By implementing proper drainage and detention structures, the impact of increased sediment levels on aquatic species and their habitat would be low. Any localized increases in sediment would not affect downstream areas in the Gunnison and Colorado rivers that are inhabited by the four federally endangered fish species. The use of water for mining activities, dust control, and domestic purposes would result in a relatively . small depletion of water from Terror Creek, Hubbard Creek, and the North Fork of the Gunnison River. The estimated withdrawal of water would result in total reductions of less than 1 cfs. This depletion would represent a relatively small reduction in habitat for aquatic species. This depletion would be negligible to sections of the Gunnison and Colorado rivers that are inhabited by the four federally endangered fish species.