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The Proposed Action would withdraw an average of 25.3 acre -feet of water per year by the Mine and an <br />average of 9.7 acre -feet of water per year by the Loadout Facility. East Salt Creek, a tributary to Salt <br />Creek and the Colorado River, is adjacent to the existing Mine and proposed expansion. Reed Wash, a <br />tributary to the Colorado River, passes through the Loadout Facility and would be crossed by the <br />proposed rail loop. Reed Wash is within the 100 -year floodplain of the Colorado River and is designated <br />critical habitat for Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) and razorback sucker (0,t3yrauchen <br />texanus). <br />Because there would be water depletions associated with construction and operation of the Mine <br />expansion and Loadout Facility, a determination of "May Affect, Likely to Adversely Affect" was made <br />for the four endangered fish - Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker and for humpback chub (Gila <br />cypha), and bonytail (G. elegans) and the species' critical habitat in the Colorado River. <br />In addition to water depletions, actions at the Mine and Loadout Facility risk mobilizing and releasing <br />selenium into aquatic habitats that are utilized by the endangered fish species and the water quality <br />primary constituent element component of critical habitat. The BA provides analyses for the following <br />direct and indirect effects by the Proposed Action: <br />1. Decreased water quality in East Salt Creek and downstream in Salt Creek due to discharge <br />from the Mine sediment retention pond, and in Reed Wash due to discharge from sediment <br />ponds at the Loadout Facility. <br />2. Coal spills entering Reed Wash from coal cars and fugitive coal dust from stockpiles and coal <br />cars at the Loadout Facility. <br />3. Construction of the rail bed and bridge in Reed Wash, 100 -year floodplain, and critical <br />habitat. <br />4. Acoustic impact from driving piles in Reed Wash streambanks and floodplain. <br />5. Hazardous materials (diesel fuel, lubricants, creosote, de -icing chemicals, and herbicides) <br />affecting Reed Wash, the 100 -year floodplain, and critical habitat. <br />Because of these potential effects to fish and critical habitat, Conservation Measures have been specified <br />in the BA that will avoid and/or minimize adverse effects. The water depletions are covered by the FWS <br />1999 Programmatic Biological Opinion (PBO) regarding the Colorado River endangered fishes. Water <br />depletions will be reported under the annual reporting provisions of the PBO. OSM request concurrence, <br />on behalf of both agencies, with the determinations that, other than water depletions, effects by the <br />McClane Canyon Mine Expansion and Fruita Loadout Facility on Colorado pikeminnow and razaorback <br />sucker and their critical habitats are discountable (i.e., extremely unlikely to occur) and insignificant <br />(never reaching the point where take or adverse modification of critical habitat occurs). <br />If you have any questions regarding this request, or the mining operations at McClane Canyon mine or the <br />Fruita Loadout Facility, please feel free to contact me at (303) 293 -5044. <br />cc: USFWS -Grand Junction, Terry Ireland <br />cc: CO -DMG, Michael P. Boulay <br />cc: BLM -GJFO, Christina Stark <br />Sincerely, <br />Dawn S. Pacula <br />Natural Resources Specialist <br />