2012-03-07_PERMIT FILE - C2010088 (28)

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McClane Canyon Mine Expansion and Fruita Loadout Facility Biological Assessment Species Coun ESA Status Critical Habitat Mexican Mexican Spotted Owl Ow( Designated, occiSpotted Garfield Threatened None in Mesa County None in Garfield Fish Bonytail Chub Garfield Endangered Designated, Gila ele ans Mesa Mesa County Humpback Chub Garfield Endangered Designated, Gila cy0ha Mesa Mesa County Colorado Pikeminnow Garfield Designated, Ptychochellus luclus Mesa Endangered Mesa County Garfield County Razorback Sucker Garfield Designated, Xyrauchen texanus Mesa Endangered Mesa County Garfield County Greenback Cutthroat stomias Trout Oncoih chus clarRi Garfield Threatened None Designated Plants Colorado Hookless Cactus Garfield Threatened None Designated Sclerocactus glaucus Mesa Ute Ladies'- tresses Orchid Garfield Threatened None Designated S iranthesViluvialls' DeSeque Phacella Garfield Proposed Phacelia submutica Mesa Threatened Mesa County Garfield County Parachute Beardtongue Garfield Threatened I Proposed Penstomon debilis Garfield County Sources: FWS 2010a and FWS, 2011a and 2011b 4.1 Action Area The Action Area includes all areas that would be affected directly or indirectly by the Proposed Action and not just the immediate area involved in the action. The Action Area for this Project is divided between the-Mine and the Loadout Facility. At the Mine, the Action Area extends to 100 meters from'-the perimeter of all proposed surface disturbances associated with the Mine expansion.. The FWS and BLM (2007) believe that indirect project effects to Colorado hookless.cacttis may occur up to 1.00, meters (328 feet) away but project activities farther than 100 meters from Colorado hookless cactus plants are expected to have no effect (FWS and BLM, 2007). The Ac tion Area also includes East Salt Creek from the Mine downstream to the confluence with Mack Wash- and Salt Creek, which is a direct tributary to the Colorado River. Although the 100 -year floodplain has not been mapped for the Colorado River downstream from the 18 -mile reach (from the Gunnison River to Loma), it is likely that Salt Creek provides constituent habitat elements for use by endangered Colorado River. fishes (see discussion, below) and, because it is connected with East ,Salt Creek, its inclusion in the Aciion Area is appropriate. The Action Area at the Loadodt Facility is based on the analysis of project effects to the four Colorado- River endangered fish specie's and effects to' designated critical habitat for *Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker. The Action Area would include the 100 -year floodplain associated with Reed Wash and the Reed Wash channel from the upstream limit 1,395 river feet north of U.S. Highway 6 /State Highway 50 downstream to the confluence with'the Colorado River mainstem, 1,510 river feet from the Loadout Facility property boundary. These two components are within the larger Action Area related to water depletions. That area encompasses the- Upper- Colorado River Basin and listed species' critical habitats in the Colorado River from Reed Wash downstream to Lake Powell, Utah. 15