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WILDLIFE. RESOURCES ASSGSSMEN'r DUCKWORTH PIT, WELD COUN"I~', COLORADO processing at existing gravel processing facilities south of the road. Mining of the gravel resources will completeh' avoid Idaho Creek and any associated wetlands. Water within Idaho Creek is fully controlled by a headgate located upstream on Boulder Creek and the creek functions entireh' as a controlled irrigation canal. The excavated areas reclaimed as two recreational, groundwater ponds. Ecological and Other Features of the Assessment Area The project site is located between Highways 119 and ~2, just west of Rinn ir. Weld County. Colorado (Figure 1). This site historically has been used for agriculture. including livestock grazing and agricultural crops. Idaho Creek has been greatly altered by channelization, water diversion, and bank stabilization (riprap banks) and presently functions entirely as an irrigation canal. Land use in the area consists of agriculture. sand and gravel mining, light industrial and rural residential. Portions of the Idaho Creek corridor have been impacted by past agricultural practices and aggregate mining. both upstream and downstream of the site. Rural residential homes have been built immediately north of the project site (Photograph ] ). The western side of the proiect site contains a mowed hay field composed of pasture grasses (Photograph 2). Native vegetation in this area has been larger replaced by introduced grasses such smooth brome (Bromopsis inermis), slender wheatgrass (Agropyron elongatum). and Kentucky blueerass (Poa pretensis). The eastern side of the project site is a grazed pasture characterized b} a mixture of native and introduced gasses. The entire pasture has been grazed by livestock and a small colour of prairie dogs. The grass cover within the pasture is very dense and contains generally less than j percent bare ground. Idaho Creek is characterized as a small meandering irrigation canal with a narrow band of wet meadow and wetland vegetation (Photographs 3 and 4 taken in 20031. Vegetation along the creek consists of a variety of wetland species including reed eanar}~grass (Phalaris arfmclinacea). wooly sedge (Carex lanuginnsa), curly dock 1Rumes crispus), and cordgrass (Spcn7rna pectrnata). The creek contains yen' little shrub cover. although patches of low crowing sandbar willow (Sa/ix esigua) are scattered alom_ the creek. R ater flog throueh Idaho Creek is entireh diverted out of Boulder Creek and the ERO Resawres Corporation