ERO conducted field evaluations for wildlife habitat and cultural resources along 12.4 miles of Gould Canal, an open canal on the Fruitland Mesa near Crawford. The project conforms to the requirements of the Salinity Control Act and Reclamation procedures, and ERO also ensured compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Riparian vegetation was mapped and analyzed using a 10-part rubric to estimate wildlife value. ERO collaborated with local conservation organizations and the client to design a new habitat restoration project on 10 acres of company land to replace the value of wildlife habitat expected to be lost due to canal improvements.
In addition, ERO surveyed more than 340 acres, including the Gould Canal, access roads, and staging and borrow areas, for cultural and historic resources and facilitated NHPA compliance for the client. Eleven sites were documented, including the Fruitland Irrigation Network, which was determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
Harry F. White Plate 003: Gould Canal construction, date unknown (early 1900s?). Photo credit: Harry F. White, received from Danny Cotten via Greg Powers, electronic version on file at ERO.