OCR Text |
Show much of this habitat. iiZ The importance of these lands particularly Provo Bay, as critical winter habitat for pheasants has been documented by migration studies which show that birds travel for several miles to spend the winter there. x^ Upland game surveys and harvest evaluations indicate that this area is one of the highest pheasant production areas in the state."° The cumulative impacts of the Unit on pheasant habitat are discussed in paragraph C4C( 2). The diking would alter the existing habitats of numerous non- game birds and animals. The shorebirds that nest and feed in the marshes would be displaced and forced to migrate to other portions of the lake or forced to leave the area completely. Seasonal migration patterns would be altered. The sizes of existing aquatic bird populations would dwindle. Muskrat habitat would also be reduced because of the loss of wetlands. Reduction in the muskrat population would be offset by the increased habitat produced by construction of new canals, laterals, and drainage ditches and Goshen Bay Wildlife Management Area. It is anticipated that with the Unit, there would be no significant loss or gain in the number of muskrats inhabiting the Unit area. The shoreline habitats of amphibians would be altered in Goshen Bay and virtually eliminated in Provo Bay. The feeding habitats of reptiles would also be changed in this area. The diking of Utah Lake would reduce the existing high quality warm water fishery value of the lake. Of particular significance would be losses of spawning and rearing habitat for catfish and walleye. Although the spawning areas for these species have not been clearly identified!^, 120 ^ t £ s known that they utilize Provo Bay and the small rocky shore area along the east shore of Goshen Bay for this purpose. This rocky shoal is described in Section B. Studies have shown this area is not only unique in its substrata composition but also in the aquatic invertebrate population that it supports.?° These invertebrates provide forage and cover for young game fish. At present the marshes of Provo and Goshen Bays provide good habitat for production of biting insects-- primarily mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are vectors for several serious diseases. The magnitude of mosquito production is dependent upon the available area of shallow water interspersed with saltgrass and bulrushes. The fairly stable lake levels of recent years have not allowed populations of mosquitoes to significantly expand. However, in past low- water years production of these insects has been 247 |