1995-08-11_REVISION - M1977493 (11)

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glacial ponds, artificial ponds with suitable water quality, and areas of incidental accumulation of runoff. All such habitats in the study area were surveyed in June and July in an attempt to locate tadpoles, juveniles, or adults. Potentially suitable habitat exists along significant stretches of the Arkansas River above the mine, an old pond near the abandoned observatory south of Chalk Mountain Reservoir, and the unnamed tributary of the East Fork Eagle River southwest of Robinson Lake (Figure 1). Most other stream habitats in the study area are too swift to support toads. Beaver ponds along both the Arkansas River below the mine and Tenmile Creek below the tailing ponds are younger and contained trout. Three clean-water lakes—Buffehr Lake, Chalk Mountain Reservoir, and Chalk Lake (Figure 1) — provide minimal emergent aquatic vegetation and apparently contain trout. 5. RESULTS Results of the field surveys are summarized below. • The only definite sighting of a federally listed or candidate T&E species was of an immature bald eagle, observed flying across the study area in late July. This is consistent with the type of incidental use by vagrants or migrants mentioned in Section 2. The Climax area does not appear to provide suitable habitat for sustained or routine use by bald eagles. • No wolverine, lynxes, or their definitive sign were observed. However, surveys for these species are more appropriate during the winter, when tracks are more visible on the snow. Studies by CDOW indicate that wolverines would be very unlikely to occur at Climax. Lynx, however, have been documented to occur in parts of Eagle and Lake counties in the general project vicinity (see Section 2.2). A fecal sample collected south of the mine area at an elevation of 11,400 feet could not be identified definitively as that of a lynx or a bobcat (Lynx rufus). • Northern goshawks were not observed during T&E surveys but are widespread in subalpine forests of Colorado and should therefore be considered as potentially present. • Tiger salamander larvae, were observed in the shallow pond near the abandoned observatory north of Chalk Mountain and another pond on the nearby unnamed tributary of the East Fork Eagle River (Figure 1). Larval salamanders are predatory and could be a factor in the absence of boreal toads. • No individuals of either the Leadville milkvetch or Penland's eutrema were observed, and neither should be considered as likely to occur in the study area, based on the absence of Leadville limestone at the surface and the western exposure along the ridgeline extending north from Mt. Democrat. • No purple lady's slippers were observed. This is a small plant that conceivably could be overlooked, even during intensive surveys. However, the Climax site is not within the reported range of this species, and its presence should be considered unlikely. 5