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SELENIUM IN RAZORBACK SUCKERS [N GREEN RIVER. UTAH 139 other with bony tail, fish were exposed to a similar nine- element mixture simulating Ashley Creek and tested in reconstituted Green River water (Hamilton et al., 2000). Adverse effects such as reduced growth, reduced swimming performance, and reduced survival were observed at con- centrations within 4-8 times of measured environmental concentrations, which confirmed the high hazard derived from the acute tests, and further demonstrated a high haz- ard existed. Sportsman's Drain The elevated selenium concentrations in larvae collected at Sportsman's Drain may be linked to the elevated sel- enium concentrations in the adjacent water impoundment reported by Stephens et al. (1988, 1992) and Peltz and Waddell (1991). They referred to the impoundment as Marsh 4720 (4720 refers to the elevation of the marsh in feet), but the site has also been called Little Stewart Lake or Sportsman's Lake by others, and is identified as the Unitah Sportsman's Club Lake in the Green River Wilderness Desolation River Guide (Evans and Belknap, 1992) and by Muth et al. (1997). Sportsman's Lake receives irrigation tailwaters, but does not receive irrigation return flows by way of subsurface drains. The lake also receives surface inflow from the Lower Union Canal whose source of water is Ashley Creek near Highway 40 (below the Vernal sewage lagoons). This water contains 40-140 ~g/Iiter of selenium and is used to irrigate adjacent agricultural fields. Stephens et al. 11988) reported selenium concentrations in 1986 in Sportsman's Lake were 31 ~g/liter in water, 4.2 ~g/g in sediment, 7 ~g/g in black bullhead, and 19 and 21 ~g/g in common carp. Stephens et al. (1992) and Peltz and Waddell (1991) reported selenium concentrations in 1988 were 26-130 jlg/liter in inflow water and 7 ~g/liter in the main marsh, 11-41 jlg/g in aquatic invertebrates (Hemiptera), 41 jlg/g in a mixed invertebrate sample dominated by chironomids, and up to 37 ~g/g in fish. All of these selenium concentrations were substantially elevated, probably due to inflow of high selenium water from Ashley Creek via Lower Union Canal. The lower selenium concentration in the main marsh, water compared to the inflow water was similar to reports by others who have found rapid uptake of selenium from water into aquatic plants (Allen, 1991; Ornes et aI., 1991), algae (Besser el al., 1993; Foe and Knight, 1985; Nassos et aI., 1980; Riedel et al., 1991), sediments and periphtyton (Graham et al., 1992), and bacteria and detritus (Bender et al., 1991; Presser et al., 1994). Outflow or seepage of marsh water, detrital matter, or food organisms with elevated selenium from the lake into Sportsman's Drain during periods of high river elevations may have allowed some of the larval razorback sucker to accumulate selenium in the present study. Nevertheless, based on the negative correlation between fish total length and selenium concen- trations in larvae at Sportsman's Drain, it seems the larvae were probably depurating selenium from their tissues. The higher selenium concentrations in small larvae may have come from deposition in female gonads at spawning (Lemly, 1993). Greasewood Corral There is no information on selenium concentrations in water, sediment, or biota for Greasewood Corral in the NIWQP investigations or USFWS contaminant investiga- tions. Larvae collected at this site seemed to be slowly accumulating selenium, as evidenced by the positive correla- tion between fish total length and selenium concentrations in larvae, but slower than larvae collected at Cliff Creek and Stewart Lake Drain. The only source of selenium loading at Greasewood Corral would have been from the river, either upstream sources from the Stewart Lake Drain,Ashley Creek area or from Sheppard Bottom, which has been documented to have high selenium concentrations in sur- face and groundwater, aquatic and benthic invertebrates, sediments, and wildlife (Stephens et al., 1988, 1992; Peltz and Waddell, 1991). Old Charlie Wash The elevated selenium in larvae at Old Charlie Wash inlet may have resulted from exposure to elevated selenium con- centrations from riverine sources, similar to Greasewood Corral. In Old Charlie Wash, Wiens and Waddell (/996) reported aquatic invertebrates collected by light trap con- tained 1.7 to 4.1 ~g/g in 1993 and a mean of 4.1 !-1g,'g (n = 4) in 1994. Four of five invertebrate samples in 1993 and all samples in 1994 were within the concentrations of concern range for dietary items [2-3 ~g/g] proposed by the [n- teragency Technical Teams for Phase 4 Remediation Plann- ing for the Kendrick and Middle Green River Projects, NIWQP (Table 4 in Stephens et al., 1997). These selenium concentrations in Old Charlie Wash were derived from riverine sources via the inlet canal, because Old Charlie Wash does not receive surface or subsurface irrigation drainage. Wiens and Waddell (1996) concluded that Old Charlie Wash may not be suitable as a juvenile razorback sucker rearing area due to the number of invertebrate sam- ples found at concentrations of concern for selenium. Never- theless, 28 young of year razorback sucker were collected there in 1995 (Modde, 1996), and 45 were collected in 1996 (Modde, 1997); however, selenium residues were not mea- sured in the juveniles or other ecosystem components. Selenium in Larvae The selenium concentrations in the larvae in the present study may have come in part from the spawning adults.