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• Summary and Conclusions <br />Data and background information for this report were obtained <br />from a personal two-day inspection of the Allen and Maxwell Mine sites, <br />review of pertinent studies and literature, and numerous discussions <br />with knowledgeable persons. Although I was assisted in interpreting <br />data from studies outside my area of expertise, oarticularly data <br />related to water quality and fishery biology, conclusions are my own. <br />It is obvious that surface developments of a mining operation <br />reduces food, cover and space available for wildlife by the pre-emption <br />of space. It is also likely that noise and man's activities may <br />affect wintering big game and upset breeding behavior of small mammals <br />and birds. However, most of these effects should be small and local. <br />• i No reductions in big name, game birds, raptors or endangered species <br />populations as a direct consequence of the Allen or Maxwell Mines <br />has been reported, to my knowledge. <br />It is equally obvious that a decrease in water quality carries <br />with it the potential for adversely affecting fish populations. <br />There is evidence from creel checks that a change in fish species <br />composition occurs in the stretch between Stonewall and the Maxwell <br />Mine area. Observational information indicates that the only fish <br />species present in this stretch of the Purgatoire River are Brown <br />Trout, Rainbow Trout and White Suckers. Holder (pers. comm. 1980) <br />estimates that 950 of the fish he checks in fishermen's creels in <br />the vicinity of Stonewall are Brown Trout, the rest are Rainbow Trout. <br />The farthest upstream that he has seen, Suckers are in the River <br />.` <br />