PERMFILE122428

• Permit No: M1997054
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Section_Exhibit Name: EXHIBIT H - WILDLIFE INFORMATION
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Pazkdale Project • 2 • Reclamation Permit
woody stems. Some of the hedging observed was likely the result of mule deer winter
use of the site, but the frequency of droppings in most areas indicated predominantly
livestock use. Mule deer pellet groups were commonly encountered only on the
pinon/juniper slopes north of Tallahassee Creek. Mountain mahogany and four-wing
saltbush represent high value browse species for both livestock and deer, but rubber
rabbitbrush has very low palatability and little forage value for livestock and is only fair
for deer on winter range (USDA Forest Service 1933, Stubbendieck et al. 1982).
Extensive hedging on stands of rubber rabbitbrush indicates heavy over use of rangeland
and generally poor range condition.
Sources of surface water within the permit area are limited to stock tanks and Tallahassee
Creek. In addition to these sources, the Arkansas River is located immediately south of
the southern permit boundary. Within the permit area, Tallahassee Creek flows through
a broad alluvial wash, and at the time of the survey, flow was relatively low (2 to 3 feet
wide and only one to a few inches deep in most areas). Old high water lines and drift
lines of vegetation debris indicated that the Tallahassee stream wash area experiences
relatively high flows at times. Highest flows would normally be expected to occur in
May and early June because of ~snowmelt runoff and during the summer months
following heavy rainfall events within the watershed.
A rock outcrop cliff is present as a special habitat feature in the permit area. It is located
on the east side of the small ridee near in the north-central portion of the permit area (see
Map J, Exhibit J). Rock outcrop and cliffs serve as important habitat for species such as
yellow-bellied marmot, rock squirrel, bushy-tailed woodrat, and swallows. Ledges and
cavities in cliff areas can provide suitable nesting habitat for cliff-nesting raptor such as
red-tailed hawk, prairie falcon, golden eagle, and great homed owl. The cliff area was
scanned using binoculars and a spotting scope (20-45x), and no evidence of raptor
nesting activity (stick nests or whitewash) was located. One rock crevice did appear to
contain a woodrat nest, however.
3.2 Wildlife Populations
Discussions of wildlife species potentially inhabiting the permit area are provided in
subsequent sections under the categories: fisheries, big game, predators and furbearers,
other mammals, waterbirds, raptors, upland gamebirds, other avifauna, reptiles and
amphibians, and threatened and endangered species. Use of common names for wildlife
species follows Fitzgerald et al. (1994) for mammals, American Ornithologists' Union
(1983 and subsequent supplements) for birds, and Hammerson and Langlois (1981) for
reptiles and amphibians.
Fisheries
According to Duane Finch (CDOW), brown trout move up Tallahassee Creek from the
Arkansas~River to spawn in portions of Tallahassee Creek upstream of the permit area.
The narrow canyon segments of Tallahassee Creek upstream of the permit azea as well as
portions of Kern and Cottonwood creeks near their confluences with Tallahassee Creek