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Based on brook trout population estimates in Two Elk Creek in 1993 and 2003, as well as comparison of z~acroinver~ebrate communities and substrate data to Pearl Creek, it is apparent that little influence of ski area activities has occur~~ed, and the habitat is in a "robust" stream health category Table 4~. Some rnetr~ics indicated declines in stream habitat in 2004, however, no rnetr~ics were below the robust stream health threshold, as defined by Pearl Creek data. Although no reference data were available from Pearl Creek to assess the condition of pool habitat in Two Elk Creek, tl~e average maximum pool. depth ~n = 25 pools} was 0,.47 meters, and pool~.riffle ratios were high X0.96}, indicating the availability of quality over-wintering habitat important for CRCT. Direct and indirect Effects The project proposes to authorize the construction of a well and snowmal~ing on about 1-acre of land at the base of chair 37 adjacent to Two Ells Creek, as well as a lift replacement of Chair lift 15.. Based on an analysis by Hydrosphere Resource Consultants X2007} summarized here, reductions i.n actual instr~eam flaw in Two Elk Creek would be between 1.2%, in a wet year, to 4,1 % in a dry year. This was determined based on a modeled and field ver~if~ed winter hydrograph developed by Hydrosphere Resource Consultants, Snowmaking, and therefore gr~oundwater~ pumping would occur for 5-10 hours, and then the pump and snowmaking well would be turned off for 14 r 1 ~ hours, allowing groundwater to recharge near the well and streamflows to replenish. While the pumping capacity of the well would be up to 15 gallonslminute X0,033 cfs} this amount of water would not correlate to instantaneous reductions in the same amount of flow in the stream since the stream flow reduction depends on connectivity of the gr~oundwater~ to surface water, distance of the well from the stream, and other factors,. Additional analysis is provided in Hydrosphere Resource Consultants technical memo (June 12, 2007}. Reductions in streamflow due to groundwater well pumping would result in between 0.009 0.019 cfs reductions in Two Elk Creek November to December streamflow, resulting in decreased over-wintering pool depths. However, pool data found in the surveyed reach indicated an abundance of high quality deep pool habitat, and the reductions in stream flow would be within the range of natural annual winter stream flow variability, During January and February, natural str~eamflow would be expected to drop below tl~e level of reduced streamflows that would occur in November-December due to groundwater pumping, watershed conservation practices listed in Section V1 would minimize any other potential indirect effects to CRCT habitat, such as erosionlsedimentationthot may occur during construction. Cumulative Effects Cumulative effects are discussed for aquatic habitats in Two Elk Creek and the Eagle River. Additive water losses from the Eagle River due to municipal water use, future resort development, and other new diversions, as well as existing trans-basin water diversions, contr7bute to habitat degradation in the Eagle River.. Logging at the Ginn resort development property loos recently resulted in large inputs of sediment to the Eagle River via willow Creek, and additional development of housing units, golf courses, and water diversions would further degrade habitat in the Eagle. Loss of dilution flows from increased municipal water use, in addition to small reductions in stream flow due to pumping of the snowmaking well could result 13