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i INTRODUCTION <br />Middle Creek and Fish Creek lie in the upper Colorado River basin in <br />northwestern Colorado and flow through the eastern edge of the Yampa Coal <br />Field. Middle Creek arises near the base of the Dunckley Flat Tops area in <br />l the Routt National Forest and flows northeast into Trout Creek: The upper <br />portion of the basin is well vegetated with aspens and conifers. The lower <br />portion is more arid with sage, woody shrubs and grasses on the hillsides <br />and less woody vegetation growing near the stream. Middle Creek may become <br />intermittent during certain times of the year in the upper portion of its <br />watershed. Most of the stream is variously affected by agricultural prac- <br />times such as irrigation, hay farming and grazing, as well as coal surface <br />mining activity. Fish Creek arises in the Dunckley Flat Tops area and flows <br />I northeast into Trout Creek downstream of its confluence with Middle Creek. <br />Upper Fish Creek is also heavily vegetated with aspens and conifers while <br />lower portions are more xeric supporting sagebrush and grasses. Most of <br />Fish Creek is also heavily affected by agriculture and some mining activity. <br />• Three sampling stations were established on Middle Creek during the <br />summer of 1980 (Fig. 1). Station 1 (SW% SWq Sec. 13, T5N, R86W) is upstream <br />of coal mining activity. Station 2 (SE', SE', Sec. 12, TSN, R86W) is 2.1 km <br />(1.3 mi) downstream of Station 1 immediately downstream of drainage from <br />surface and underground coal mining activity. Station 3 (S E', NE', Sec. 12, <br />TSN, R86W) is 1.1 km (0.7 mi) downstream of Station 2 and below all coal <br />mining activity. <br />Two sampling stations were established on Fish Creek during the summer <br />of 1980 (Fig. 1). Station 1 (NW% SE'; Sec. 2, TSN, R86W) is located upstream <br />of the loadout facility for the Middle Creek Mine. Station 2 (NW', NE< Sec. <br />1, TSN, R86W) is located 2.4 km (1.5 mi) downstream of Station 1 and below <br />the loadout facility. This station was sampled previously in 1975 (Dames <br />and Moore, 1975) and 1979 (ERT/Ecology Consultants, Inc., 1979). <br /> <br />-1- <br />