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<br />00213
<br />
<br />making them poor indicator organisms for
<br />evaluating water quality. Winner et al. (19801
<br />11 71 J, following a study of heavy metal pollu-
<br />tion in lotic ecosystems, hypothesize that heavi-
<br />ly polluted habitats are dominated by chirono-
<br />mids, moderately pOlluted habitats by chirono-
<br />mids and caddisflies, and minimally polluted or
<br />unpolluted habitats by caddisflies and mayflies.
<br />These trends are not clear from this study, as
<br />caddisflies and mayflies are found in areas of ap-
<br />parently severe heavy metals pollution.
<br />
<br />Fish
<br />
<br />Fish are generally more sensItIve to toxic
<br />pollutants than are invertebrates because of a
<br />longer and more complex life cycle. They require
<br />a more stable habitat and, therefore, they are ex-
<br />cellent indicators of long-term water quality.
<br />Fish population and species composition
<br />changed considerably from upstream of the ma-
<br />jor sources of heavy metals pollution to down-
<br />stream of these SOurces.
<br />
<br />A large population of brown and brook trout of
<br />180-mm average length was found at EF-l,
<br />reflecting good quality water. The small size
<br />may also indicate that the habitat may be limited
<br />by flows, and severe winters may result in
<br />winter-kill. Heavy metals pollution downstream
<br />may also be a barrier to fish movement and in-
<br />tense competition may result in smaller in-
<br />dividual fish. Colder water temperatures may
<br />also slow growth, and water temperatures are
<br />
<br />always lower in the headwaters of mountain
<br />streams than downstream. Roch and Maly
<br />(1979) 11301 concluded that cadmium toxicity
<br />to rainbow trout was less severe at colder
<br />temperatures. This may also be true with olher
<br />metals.
<br />
<br />Smaller fish populations, of predominantly
<br />brown trout. were found at stations below the
<br />Leadville Drain, suggesting that these fish were
<br />adversely affected by heavy metals. Brown trout
<br />may be more resistant to heavy metals pollution
<br />than are brook or rainbow trout, as reflected by
<br />their abundance relative to the total fish popula-
<br />tion, or are naturally more aggressive when
<br />establishing a territory. The absence of any fish
<br />below the California Gulch inflow indicates that
<br />water quality above the Lake Fork inflow is en-
<br />tirely unsuitable for fish habitation. At AR-7 the
<br />collection of brown trout and two species of
<br />suckers indicate that water quality improved to
<br />some degree downstream of the freshening in-.
<br />flows. The deeper river channel downstream.
<br />the substrate. and the generally warmer water
<br />temperatures make it a more suitable habitat for
<br />suckers.
<br />
<br />Analyses for heavy metal content in brown trout
<br />livers showed that fish taken from severely
<br />polluted areas contained considerably higher
<br />levels of copper and zinc, indicating bioaccumu-
<br />lation of these elements and chronically high ex-
<br />posure to these metals.
<br />
<br />BIBLIOGRAPHY
<br />
<br />[11 Adams, M. P., "Treatment and Control of In-
<br />dustrial Wastes," Water Pollut. AbslT.
<br />vol. 14. 1941.
<br />
<br />/21 American Public Health Association, Stand-
<br />ard Methods for the Examination of Water
<br />and Wastewater, 14th ed.. APHA, Wash-
<br />ington. D.C., 1975.
<br />
<br />131 Anderson. J. B.. and W. T. Mason. "A Com-
<br />parison of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Col-
<br />lected by Dredge and Basket Sampler," J.
<br />Water Pol/ut. Control Fed., vol. 40,
<br />pp. 252-259, 1968.
<br />
<br />141 Armitage, K. B., "Ecology of Riffle Insects of
<br />the Firehole River. Wyoming," Ecology,
<br />vol. 3D, pp. 571-580, 1958.
<br />
<br />15\ Arthur. J. W.. and W. B. Horning, "The Use
<br />of Artificial Substrates in Pollution
<br />
<br />Surveys," Am. Midi. Nat., vol. 82, No. I,
<br />pp. 83-89, 1969.
<br />(61 Beak, T. W., T. C. Griffing. and A. G.
<br />Appleby, "Use of Artificial Substrate
<br />Samplers to Assess Water Pollution." In:
<br />Biological Methods for the Assessment of
<br />Water Quality, J. Cairns and K. L. Dickson,
<br />editors, ASTM Spec. Tech. Publ. 528,
<br />pp. 227-241, 1973.
<br />(71 Becker, C. D., and T. L. Thatcher. Toxicity of
<br />Powerplant Chemicals to Aquatic Life, U.S.
<br />Atomic Energy Commission. UC-l', Wash-
<br />ington, D.C.. 1973.
<br />(81 Benke, A.C.. and J. 8. Wallace, "Trophic
<br />Basis of Production Among Net-Spinning
<br />Caddisflies in a Southern Appalachian
<br />Stream," Ecology, vol. 61. No.1.
<br />pp. 108-118. 1980.
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