Water Habitats 



Lotic habitats in the study areas are limited to the Missouri River and 

 smaller rivers and streams, which were classified as flowing water (FW). 

 L£ntic habitats are exclusively man-made impoundments, the largest of which by 

 far is the Big Dry arm of Fort Peck Reservior. Scattered throughout the study 

 areas are hundreds of smaller stockponds and reservoirs, nearly all of which 

 are smaller than 8 ha (20 acres) at full pool, and correspond to type 5 stock- 

 watering ponds of Stoudt 1971 and the type 5 inland fresh areas (inland open 

 fresh water) of the "Circular 39" classification system (Shaw and Fredine 1956; 

 see also Stewart and Kantrud 1971 and Cowardin et al. 1976). The open water of 

 Fort Peck Reservior and the largest of the stockponds were classified as (SW); 

 other lentic habitats were classified as stockponds and reserviors (SR). In some 

 cases, stockponds and reservoirs could be broken down further according to the 

 nature of the principal vegetation bordering their banks: grass (PG), marsh 

 (PM), shrub (PS), or woodland (PW) bordered. Saturated soil bare of vegetation 

 along the borders of water areas was classified as shore (SH). 



A few small ephemeral oxbow lakes occur along the Nelson Creek flood plain 

 within the proposed mining area. Locations of major water areas in the mine 

 study area are shown in map 2 and their sizes and shoreline characteristics are 

 listed on table 3. 



Agricultural Land Series 



Cultivated land was classified as fallow (FA), sprouting grain (GS), inter- 

 mediate grain (GI), mature grain (GM), stubble (ST), alfalfa (AL), or undif- 

 ferentiated (CU). Since the condition of a given cultivated field changes 

 throughout the year, all cultivated land was treated as undifferentiated (CU) 

 in the analysis. Wild hayland, or native grasses which are regularly mown 

 for hay, were classified separately (WH). 



Rights-of-Way Series 



Certain linear habitats of special importance to particular wildlife species 

 were recognized in this study. These include fence rows (FR), which were fre- 

 quently used as perches by raptors and often provided the only available cover 

 in heavily cultivated areas; paved highway (HI) and unpaved county road (RD) 

 surfaces and embankments; and transmission or telephone line rights-of-way (TL) 

 which often prodide hunting perches for raptors. 



Towns and Communities Series 



Towns (TO) . The TO h.c. consists of townsites. The only towns in the 

 study area were Circle, Broadway, Vida, Wolf Point, Oswego, and Frazer. 



Occupied Farmstead (OF) . The OF h.c. includes rural residences as well as 

 nearby barns and other outbuildings, farm machinery storage areas, and grain 

 storage silos. 



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