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wetlands and ponds in the project area provide potential habitat for the brassy minnow, Iowa
<br />darter, common garter snake, and northern leopard frog.
<br />Many birds may use habitats similar to those found at the proposed amendment area, either year -
<br />round, seasonally for nesting, or temporarily for roosting during migration. Some of the common
<br />or abundant species could include robins, orioles, starlings, swallows, magpies, wrens, longspurs,
<br />doves, kingbirds, and blackbirds. Because of the abundant open water habitat within and near the
<br />proposed project site, shore birds and waterfowl such as killdeer, herons, gulls, cormorants,
<br />pelicans, ducks, coots, Canadian geese, and grebes might also be present.
<br />It could be expected that most mammals common or abundant in Weld County would be found
<br />near or within the proposed amendment area. Smaller mammals that might be found at the
<br />proposed project site might include bats, mice, voles, gophers, cottontail rabbits, squirrels,
<br />muskrats, raccons, mink, and skunks. Some of the larger mammals could include both mule and
<br />white tailed deer, beaver, coyote, and fox.
<br />The mining and reclamation activities may disturb some of the wildlife within the proposed site
<br />boundary and adjacent area. However, the activities will be confined to specific areas and total
<br />disturbance at one time will be limited. Impacts to wildlife following reclamation will primarily
<br />be associated with the loss of tree, shrub, and riparian areas along the shorelines of the lakes. To
<br />help mitigate these effects, some of the backfilled ponds are to be reclaimed for wetland habitat
<br />with additional riparian vegetation. Although the reservoirs will provide open water habitat,
<br />fluctuations in reservoir water levels and maintenance of the reservoirs will not permit robust
<br />shoreline vegetation growth. However, because the existing lakes are previously mined pits, the
<br />loss of habitat impacts will be relatively low. The existing lake shorelines and below water
<br />surface slopes have likely been graded to approximately 3H:1V. Although this grade provides
<br />stable lake and reservoir slopes, it minimizes the amount of productive shallow water habitat
<br />within the lakes. Additionally, in most areas the 3H:1V grade continues to rise several feet to
<br />over ten feet from the shoreline to the adjacent land surface. This steep slope minimizes the
<br />saturated soil area around the perimeter of the lake and, therefore, the width of the riparian area.
<br />Greeley 25th Avenue Site
<br />DRMS 112 Permit Amendment Application Page 24
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