i 



59 



In Idaho, much of the bottomland habitat in the Palouse 

 River drainage has been altered to sone degree by roads, 

 lumber mills (3) , residential housing (3 oonrianities) , 

 cultivaticxi (grains) , and pasture land (with seeded exotic 

 forage) . Small vernal pools are easily filled by any of 

 these disturbances. The CXmbey property near Harvard 

 appeared to be the only remaining pcuroel in a relatively 

 undisturbed conditicxi within the drainage. *Ihis general 

 trend in habitat alteration of bottonlands has occurred in 

 much of northern Idaho as well, including the Spirit lake 

 area. 



In Washingtcai, several ponds on the Tumbull National 

 Wildlife Refuge have been significantly altered to inprove 

 waterfowl habitat (i.e., dredged with heavy equipment while 

 they were dry) . Although 15' aquatilis was not kncwn to be 

 present before these nanipulations, it is suspected to have 

 been, since in some cases eidjacent ponds do contain the 

 species. It is apparently eibsent from the ponds which have 

 been significantly edtered (J. Gamon, pers. conn.). 



Bv-jghing threats: MOtTTANA ; The current threats to 

 populations of iJ. a<;^atilis are mainly from timber harvest 

 activities occurring adjacent to the pothole ponds which the 

 ^secies occupies. Additionally, seme populations are 

 adjacent to gravel logging and public access roads, and are 

 thus susceptible to any road improvement activities which 

 may take place. Lastly, in the vicinity of Lindbergh Lake, 

 seme ponds are currently disturbed or potentially threatened 

 by domestic livestock grazing. Ihe sites threatened by 

 these activities are reviewed below: 



a. TIMBER HARVEST ACnviTIES: Of the 55 populations of tJ. 

 aquatilis found in the Swsin Valley, 22 occur in ponds 

 cuxund which logging has occurred historically or in 

 the very recent past. In nany cases, all coniferous 

 trees were removed down to the pond margins, and the 

 trees left standing were broadleaf deciduous species 

 (i.e., Pjpulus trgnaloides . p. trichocarpa ) . In a few 

 instances, no trees were left bordering some sides of 

 the ponds, and in one case (Lindbergh Lake (001)) 

 logging slash had been placed in the water. 



Listed belcvr, by site name and occurrence nuntser, are 

 the 22 pond habitats whose margins or iimediate 

 surroundings have been physically impacted by timber 

 harvesting. Those which have been very recently 

 inpacted (i.e., in 1986-87) are indicated by an 

 asterisk (*) . 



Condon Creek: *025, *027, *029, *030, 031 



Dog Creek: 018 



