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~~ <br />l.o IxTROnucTlox <br />In response to increasing energy needs and an attempt to achieve <br />some level of energy self-sufficiency, considerable emphasis has been <br />placed upon energy. resources is western Colorado. Ia particular, rich <br />coal deposits is the Yampa River Valley have resulted is mining activity at <br />numerous sites. One of the mines, which is owned and operated by Empire <br />Energy Corporation, is located approximately seven miles southwest of <br />Craig, Colorado. The underground mine has been is operation since 1975 <br />with a predicted future production of 1.8 million tons of coal per year. <br />Ia order to store and transfer this amount of coal by rail, Empire <br />Energy Corporation proposed to build a 10,000-ton capacity coal silo. <br />Construction of the silo, conveyor system, and railroad tracks was <br />initiated in the summer of 1979 with final completion is November, 1980. <br />Ia compliance with federal regulations required by the Office of <br />Surface tliniag, a three-year monitoring program has been established in <br />the Williams Fork River near the site of the coal silo. The overall <br />purpose of the program is to identify possible effects of the construc- <br />tion and operation of the coal silo on fish and benthic macroinvertebrate <br />communities in the Williams Fork River. Possible results of these <br />processes mainly involve increases in sediment load and bank erosion and <br />subsequent impacts on aquatic resources. This report presents results <br />of the first year of monitoring, which essentially represents the <br />construction period. <br />r~ <br />