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

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McClane Canyon Mine Expansion and Fruita Loadout Facility Biological Assessment • Minimize subadult and adult entrainment in diversion canals. • Ensure protection from overutlilization. • Ensure protection from diseases and parasites. • Regulate non - native fish releases and escapement. • Control problematic non - native fishes. • Minimize'hazardous materials spills in critical habitat. • Remediate water quality problems. • Provide for long -term management and protection of populations and their habitats. Critical habitat. FWS (1994) designated critical habitat in the Colorado River and its 100 7year floodplain from the Colorado River Bridge at'exit 90 north of Interstate -70 near Rifle in Garfield County, downstream to Lake Powell. Designation of critical habitats for all listed fish in the Colorado River Basin was based on the- presence of primary constituent elements (PCEs) — water, physical, and biological features — that are needed for species' continued survival. Briefly, PCEs include (FWS, 1994). 1. Sufficient quantity and quality of water delivered to a location with appropriate hydrologic regime necessary for a stage of the species' life cycles. The water PCE includes a quantity of water of sufficient quality temperature, dissolved oxygen, lack of contaminants, nutrients, and turbidity — that are necessary for each life stage; 2. Physical habitat in the Colorado River system inhabited or potentially inhabited by species and providing life functions including'spawning, nursery, feeding, rearing, and passage for access between those areas including those activities within the 100 - year floodplain. The physical PCE includes river channels, bottom lands, side channels, secondary channels, oxbows, backwaters, and other areas in the 100 -year floodplain; and 3. Biological environment including food supplies, predation, and competition during each life stage for the different species. In particular, listed species have been adversely affected by predation and competition from introduced non - native fish species. 4.3.1.2 Environmental Baseline Current Status in the Action Area The Colorado River mainstem within the Grand Valley is occupied habitat from Palisade; .Colorado downstream to Lake Powell (FWS, 2002a). The 18- mile reach -of the Colorado River (Loma -to the. Gunnison River), which includes the confluence of Reed Wash (Action Area), is important habitat for various life, stages W Colorado pikeminnows (Osmundson et al., 1998). The confluence of Reed Wash with the Colorado. River is within the 18 -mile reach while the confluence of Salt Creek (formed by Mack Wash, East-Salt Creek and West Salt Creek) is just downstream from the 18 -mile reach. Populations of Colorado pikeminnows in the Colorado* River were estimated for the period 1991 to 2005. Population estimates -of pikeminnows in the Colorado River Upper Reach (Westwater Canyon to Palisade) . in larger size classes generally increased between 1991 and 2005 (Osmundson and White, 2009). During the period from 2003 to 2005, the pikeminnow population-in the Upper Reach of fish >250 mm long averaged 371 fish. Actual use of Reed Wash and the Action Area by pikeminnows is unknown. Likewise, actual use of the Salt Creek confluence with the Colorado River and vicinity-is unknown. Critical Habitat. There is.designated critical habitat for the Colorado pikeminnow in the Ac #ion Area. The physical habitat PCE, provides' spawning, nursery feed_ ing and rearing habitats, or access to those habitats and is found in river channels as well as bottom lands, side channels, secondary channels, oxbows, backwaters, and other areas within the 100 -year floodplain, which RE