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<br />H.4 Waterfowl <br />Seasonal and perennial aquatic habitats used by waterfowl exist along Piceance Creek <br />in the vicinity of the project. These habitats often support migration-related use during <br />September through November and April through May. They also sustain very limited <br />nesting by mallards and cinnamon/green-winged teal. <br />Seasonal and perennial aquatic habitats also exist along Parachute Creek. These <br />habitats also support migration-related use and some limited nesting by waterfowl. <br />The Colorado River, located a few miles south of the Parachute Site, provides the closest <br />significant open water and wetland habitats in the vicinity. <br />Ponds proposed to be constructed at the Piceance Site and the Parachute Site may <br />become an attractive nuisance to waterfowl that frequent the project area. Currently, <br />two small evaporation ponds are located at the Piceance Site test facility. To date, use of <br />these ponds by migratory waterfowl has been negligible. <br />Impacts Five industrial ponds are planned for the Yankee Gulch Project, one at the <br />Piceance Site and four at the Parachute Site. Although waterfowl do not regularly use <br />either the Piceance Site or the Parachute Site because of the absence of suitable aquatic <br />habitats, it is possible that waterfowl could make occasional opportunistic use of the <br />proposed evaporation ponds, particularly if other bodies of water in the vicinity were <br />frozen over during spring and fall migration periods. <br />The Piceance Site evaporation pond will have an area of 14 acres and will hold surface <br />runoff from the Piceance Site processing facility area plus other liquid wastes from the <br />processing facilities. Solutions will enter the Piceance Site evaporation pond at a <br />maximum input temperature of 155°F, from which they will cool down at rates that will <br />depend on the ambient pond temperature and prevailing ambient weather conditions. <br />It is possible that the hot water in the Piceance Site pond could have minor adverse <br />impacts on visiting waterfowl. <br />The actual potential effect on birds of the mineral-rich water in the Piceance Site <br />evaporation pond is not known at this time. Waterfowl that use this pond could suffer <br />from sodium toxicity through ingestion of water. It may also be possible that contact <br />with concentrated brine and subsequent crystallization of sodium bicarbonate on <br />feathers could adversely affect the water repellency of contour plumage and the <br />insulative value of down. These effects could ultimately lead to debilitation and/or <br />mortality of birds. <br />American Soda will regularly monitor pond chemistry (pH and total dissolved solids at <br />a minimum) throughout the life to the pond. If a combination of consistent waterfowl <br />use and potentially toxic fluid concentrations are documented through monitoring at <br />H-6 <br />