2018-12-12_REVISION - M2018016 (7)

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' In view of other wildlife objectives for bighorn sheep and Peregrine falcons, the balance between herd containment, hunter recreational opportunities, and wildlife concerns would appear to take precedence over the DMRM. Once again these are serious issues of unanticipated risk created by a sand and gravel pit at the DMRM site. Even with mitigation measures in place,the possibility of unforeseen events is high. A Black Swan could be possible, as it is impossible to predict what vulnerable wildlife populations will do once patterns of habitat and migration are interrupted. In the case of bighorn sheep, a single gravel mine alone could cancel out years of careful planning and extensive support instituted by the CPW and the US Forest ' Service to support the Georgetown Bighorn Herd. Risks to Water Resources The Clear Creek watershed is characterized by beautiful mountain scenery and ' outdoor recreation. Clear Creek is valued for its fisheries, and is utilized extensively for kayaking, rafting, swimming, and small-scale, recreational placer mining. It also provides the water supply for a number of Colorado communities. These uses are all ' heavily dependent upon acceptable water quality. As Clear Creek flows through the watershed, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive materials from rock surfaces and the riverbed. Rockslides or landslides, runoff from forested areas, animal activity, or human activities all may affect water quality in Clear Creek. ' The 2014 Upper Clear Creek Watershed Plan Update30 indicates that contamination from past mining and milling operations is significant in Upper Clear Creek as ambient (non-storm event) metal concentrations exceed standards established to fprotect aquatic life. Certain stream segments in Clear Creek are not achieving water quality standards for trace metals and are listed as impaired. ' In 1983,because of mining-related water quality problems,the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Clear Creek/Central City Superfund Study ' Area and placed it on the National Priority cleanup list (see also the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's listing). This was the beginning of a series of activities around the Clear Creek Watershed that have continued up to ' today.31 The Clear Creek Watershed Foundation (CCWF), a non-profit organization incorporated in 1997,was a result of this original EPA Superfund initiative. The Foundation conducts studies and implements programs to improve the quality of Clear Creek and its tributaries. Projects have included abandoned mine remediation, 30 htt s: www.colorado. ov acific sites f 1 - - p // g /p / ,/de au t/files�CCWatershedPlan 02 06 ' 14_FINAL.pdf 31 http://clearcreekwater.org/about-ccwf/ 13