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<br />w <br /> <br />Platte River Basin Nonpoint Source Problems <br /> <br />~Ai <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />~The headwaters of the Platte River rise near the Continental Divide in Park <br />~ <br />~County. The South Fork of the South Platte River drains a number of mining <br />~ <br />districts in Park County, including the Iron Hill, Weston Pass, Buffalo Peaks, <br /> <br />;;;;:;. <br />" <br />'~~~ <br /> <br />Hartse1, Lake George, Pulver, and Florissant areas. Reaches of the South Fork,. <br /> <br />~:~ii <br /> <br />from Antero Reservoir to Hartse1, from Hartse1 to Lake George, from Lake <br /> <br /> <br />George to the Chees~an outlet, and from Cheesman Lake to the confluence with, <br /> <br />the North Fork of the South Platte all contain slightly elevated levels of <br /> <br />').~, <br />Cf.:. <br />I";.;~" <br />..'.-::.J <br /> <br />silver. From Twe1vemi1e Creek to Antero Reservoir, the South Fork also at <br /> <br />times contains cadmium exceeding the value for aquatic life. Impacts due to <br /> <br />/;;{; <br />(tic} <br />h~~ <br /> <br />these metals are minimal however, and good cold water fisheries are supported <br /> <br />~~ <br />t<1l <br />f.'I, <br />~.~~ <br /> <br />in the South Fork of the South Platte and the reservoirs found on this fork of <br /> <br />the Platte. <br /> <br />1~j <br />\~~ <br />~:,;~ <br /> <br />Mosquito Creek, located high in the Middle Fork of the Squth Platte drainage, <br /> <br /> <br />is heavily impacted by abandoned mine nonpoint sources. The. South Fork of <br /> <br /> <br />Mosquito creek below the South London Extension Mine drainage carries acutely <br /> <br /> <br />toxic concentrations of zinc, lead and cadmium. Old mill tailings in the <br /> <br /> <br />South Mosquito Creek drainage are also eroding directly into the Creek <br /> <br /> <br />increasing the concentrations of metals, and depositing a fine sediment in the <br /> <br /> <br />Creek. The sediment deposits begin downstream of the tailings and continue to <br /> <br />,~-:,.~ <br />~)~ <br />!t~ <br /> <br />~1 <br /> <br />/g,~ <br />(~j <br />~;~ <br /> <br />'''i:~ <br />*'i, <br />~)^! <br />I.~~:~ <br /> <br />the confluence of Mosquito Creek with the Middle Fork. Only minimal aquatic <br /> <br />~. <br />':.;::' <br />,t,~ <br />,~_. <br /> <br />life is found in South Mosquito Creek below the South London Extension Mine <br /> <br />~~ <br /> <br />and the tailings piles. <br /> <br />:~1 <br /> <br />-53- <br /> <br />'V~ <br />~;:~ <br />'_.M <br /> <br />,..... <br />,::'.'1 <br />,Hi <br />~h'; <br /> <br />. ,,-, <br />,:.;.) <br />';~~ <br /> <br />"to.':,,' <br />