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The primary wildlife users of this habitat on the site are r the bird species, which utilize the forage, cover, roosting, and nesting sites to satisfy many needs. Verner and Boss (1986), found that 57 species of birds, 29 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 10 species of mammals may use mature blue oak habitat for breeding. Among the bird species are the mourning { dove, common crow, and white-breasted nuthatch. Although the only raptor observed during site visits was the turkey vulture, species such as the great horned owl, red-tailed hawk, and' Ameri- } can kestrel are likely to roost in the oak trees, at least seaso- nally. Mammals which frequent this type include western gray squirrels and California ground squirrels. Lacustrine This habitat type is represented by man-made impoundments and 15-20 small ephemeral pools. Locations of the impoundments are shown on Figure 4. The two impoundments in the drainages function as stock ponds. Plant species observed in the stock F pond areas include cattails and dock. Embankments of the 'stock- ponds are adequately covered by annual herbaceous vegetation and it appears that the sediment storage capacity of these facilities will not be reached for many years. The other impoundment, an incised basin in the SWa of section 29, was constructed to pro- cess chicken waste from the nearby chicken farm. It has Tittle hydrophytic vegetation associated with it. F, Northern Hardpan and Northern Claypan Vernal Pools arae con- sidered natural communities. Review of the Natural Diversity FDatabase (NDDB) produced by the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) has revealed that the Northern Hardpan Vernal Pool could potentially occur in the project area. Field surveys have identified several very small ephemeral pools in the eastern t portion of the project area which have vegetation indicative of vernal pools. Goldfields, meadowfoam, and woolly marbles are 1" some of the plant species which have been observed at these ` sites. + The calm and often shallow waters that typify this habitat 1 are attractive to numerous species of wildlife. The manmade impoundments which function as stock ponds, in particular, are inhabited by resident species such as the western toad and common garter snake, and migratory waterfowl including the northern pintail, blue-winged teal, mallard, and American coot. Developed Areas A acreage,significant shown on Figure 4, has been developed g g 9 in conjunction with the quarry operations. These areas include office and maintenance facilities, aggregate processing and } storage, equipment storage, and existing quarry pits. In addi- tion, an area east of the plant facilities has been cleared of vegetation for use by a nearby chicken farm for animal waste processing. Typical weedy invader plant species inhabit these sites. Plants such as red maids, pineapple weed, Lindley's annual lupine, and carpetweed are found at various locations. ' F i KRC Aggregate, Inc. - 9 - April 1, 1994