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Construetion of the haul road will result in disturbance of a small amount of habitat that • <br />could potentially be used by greater sandhill cranes for feeding and resting. However, <br />this disturbance will not significantly limit the amount of available feeding and re:a ing ~~ <br />habitat since extensive tracts located east and west of the haul road corridor will remain <br />undisturbed, and few cranes were observed near the corridor. Utilization of the habitats <br />near the haul road may decline during the short term after the road is build and put into <br />service, although long term disturbances will be minimal. Construction end utilization of <br />the road will not interrupt drainage. Overall, the Yoast area and vicinity does not <br />appear to attract the cranes in great numbers; therefore, the impact of mining on this <br />species will be negligible. <br />The United States Fish and YiLdl ife Service (F45) believes impacts may occur to the <br />endangered Colorado squawfish (Ptvchocheilus lucias ), razorback sucker (%vrauchen <br />texanus), bonyteil (Gila elecans), humback chub (Gila cvpha) candidate roundtail chub <br />(Gila robusta), and candidate Colorado River cuthroat trout (Oncorhvnchus clarki <br />pleuriticus) from water depletions and water quality degradation associated with operation <br />of the Yoast Mine. <br /> • <br />The estimated average annual stream flow depletion resulting from operation of the Yoast <br />Mine is 48.9 acre-feet. This figure includes 27.5 acre-feet of water which could be <br />stored in sediment control impoundments (maximum storage capacity), 6.6 acre-feet of <br />annual evaporation in the sediment ponds, 20 acre-feet of consumptive use for road dust <br />control, 0.1 acre-feet of consumptive use not returned to the alluvial aquifer by way of a <br />sewage leach field, and 0.2 acre-feet of steam floe depletion as a result of withdrawals <br />from a deep rock aquifer (Trout Creek Sandstone) cell. <br />Effect of operating the Yoast Mine on local and regional water quality are discussed in <br />Tab 17, Probable Mydrologit Consequences- No imparts are expected on habitat and water <br />quality where the candidate and endangered fishes exist since local impacts are minor. No <br />effect will occur regionally due to distance and dilution. <br />The FVS also voiced concern about the potential presence of the peregrine falcon, bald <br />eagle, whooping crane, northern goshawk, ferruginous hawk, black tern, and loggerhead <br />shrike on or near the minesite. Of these, only the northern goshawk was observed during <br />baseline uildl ife survey activities. <br />• <br />8 Revised 06/18/95 <br />