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undermining public facilities and would result in a reduction of erosion -induced turbidity and sedimentation. Also the riprap stone would provide in -water aquatic habitat along the toe of the slope and upland small mammal habitat. 3.2 Fish and Aquatic Habitat: The St. Joseph River is about 250 feet wide in the project vicinity. The river provides a variety of habitat for fish, benthos (bottom dwelling organisms), and other aquatic macro -invertebrates. Existing aquatic habitat along the North Shore Drive site includes areas of broken concrete bank protection interspersed with areas of overhanging vegetation. While this may provide good aquatic habitat, much of it is being eroded. The trees overhanging the river provide good fish cover, but eventually will be undermined and lost. 3.3 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service noted the following fish species occur in this part of the St. Joseph River: steelhead trout, coho and chinook salmon, smallmouth bass, bluegill, walleye, shorthead and golden redhorse, pumpkinseed and green sunfish, carp, golden, spottail and spotfin shiner, spotted, white and northern hog sucker, quillback carpsucker, logperch, and longnose gar (correspondence, February 24, 2000, Attachment B, Page B-1). Steelhead are the major anadromous fist: species that pass through the project area from Lake Michigan. Freshwater mussels may be present, although there are no known mussel beds in the project area. Numerous other aquatic invertebrates likely are present. 3.4 Construction of the riprap riverbank protection at all three sites would destroy existing river bottom habitat within the construction area, but would provide a more stable habitat of riprap stone. The in -water part of the riprap would be colonized by macro -invertebrates from adjacent areas of the river, would provide feeding and/or spawning habitat for fish, and may also attract birds which would feed on fish attracted to the area. Fish and other mobile organisms would avoid the areas during construction. Vegetation overhanging the river would be lost during construction, rather than to erosion. To prevent disruption of the spring fish spawning, the construction contractor would be required to avoid turbidity generating activities during the spring spawning run. 3.5 Wildlife Habitat: The three sites provide habitat for wildlife species typically found in urban environments ---small mammals such as squirrel, rabbit, muskrat, etc. as well as a variety of songbirds and ducks, and Canada geese. Leeper Park Island is mainly mowed lawn with scattered trees, predominantly eastern cottonwood. At the North Shore Drive and CSO sites, habitat mainly consists of steep, vegetated banks, with many mature trees. Predominant trees along these riverbanks are maple, elm, sycamore, and cottonwood. 3.6 No trees would be removed from the Leeper Park site. All trees within the area to be protected with riprap at both the CSO and North Shore sites would be removed. Many of these trees, if not removed, ultimately would succumb to erosion. Approximately 2 large trees (6 -inch or greater diameter at breast height) at the CSO site and 25 large trees (four ofwhich are dead) ai the Nortin Shore Drive site wouiu be renwved. i he riprap slope woulu proviue habitat for small mammals. Within the bio -engineered erosion control turf mat.protection, along the upper bank at the North Shore Drive site, all large trees would remain. After -6-