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<br />riffle areas), while a 30-70 ratio is described as ideal <br />by the Colorado DOW (1972). The natural channel of <br />Trout Creek is meandering, with steep, undercut banks in <br />its lower reaches south and east of the proposed mining <br />activities. <br />Food supply available to the trout population in Trout <br />Creek (primarily aquatic invertebrates) is fair in <br />quality and quantity, and general condition of the fish <br />in the stream is rated as fair. <br />There are very few non-game species to compete with trout <br />for available habitat in Trout Creek. Non-game species <br />in the stream are white suckers, mottle sculpins, red <br />shiners, and speckled dace (Everhart and Seaman, 1971). <br />Fish Creek is populated with brook and rainbow trout in <br />a 70-30 percent species composition ratio (Colorado DOW, <br />1972). The stream is stocked with rainbow trout at <br />random time intervals by the Colorado DOW, at locations <br />above proposed mining activity. There is some natural <br />reproduction of brook trout in Fish Creek, and overall <br />fish population condition is stable. <br />Physical and chemical quality of Fish Creek is poor in <br />the vicinity of the proposed actions. Critical limit- <br />ing factors for the fish population in Fish Creek on the <br />Energy Fuels property are: (1) water temperature which <br />are marginal (greater than 80o F in some stream seg- <br />ments during the summer and early fall; 60-65o F is gen- <br />.111 <br />