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Page 5 Purgatoire River Fish Kill Report 03/24/88 requested permission to send the fish samples to CORE laboratory. I told Bangeman I did not think that would be a problem, but I would have to obtain permission from my supervisor. The fish they collected were placed in a cooler and remained in Bangeman's possession. Soldano, Cruz and I returned to Trinidad where I transferred the water samples I took on March 6. I had taken water from my original sample plastic jars and placed in pint containers for transmittal to Soldano. However, Soldano requested the entire sample. The remainder of the samples were refrigerated in the original containers. Again the samples were 111 from the Ciruela effluent; 1i2 above the effluent in the Purgatoire River and 112 below the effluent, also in the Purgatoire River. Soldano took all of [he samples a[ the request of John Woodling. Until turning the water samples over to Soldano they were in my possession since March 6 collection. Also on March 8 I transferred the fish samples we took on March 6 to District Wildlife Manager, Tom Spezze, to be relayed to Bill Adrian, Wildlife Forensics Research. The fish were accompanied by an Evidence Submittal Form (Division of Wildlife) and chain of custody recorded on the form. On March 9 I traveled to the New Elk Mine and met Augustine and Bangeman. We returned to the Purgatoire River west of the Pagnotta residence and east of Ciruela Canyon. At this location a mature bald eagle flew from the river into a cottonwood tree. I felt the eagle had been feeding on dead fish in the river. We entered the river and Bangeman took water samples and Augustine and I looked for dead fish. Bangeman remained at the site while Augustine and I traveled approximately 1/2 mile below the Highway 12 Purgatoire River Bridge. Augustine and I walked west (upstream) examining dead fish. Before we got to the bridge Bangeman met us on the river and also inspected the stretch. I took several polaroid photographs along the river. We walked the same stretch of river that I counted on March 8 with a 176 fish total. We did not reach the bridge before Augustine said he had seen enough and requested to return to the New Elk Mine office to compile his report. Augustine, an avid fisherman, was obviously upset from the observations. As Bangeman, Augustine, and I returned to Highway 12 we were met by DWM Aragon. Augustine and Bangeman returned to the New Elk Mine while Aragon and I continued the investigation. We went east (downstream) and counted dead fish from just above the Duran residence to 1(2 mile below the Purgatoire River Bridge on Highway 12. We counted 198 fish in this survey. Near the foot bridge at the Duran residence we saw live Brown Trout in the 8" - 10" range that were unable to swim in the current. The fish would work their gills slowly and were on their sides. I also saw a brown swimming very fast and erratically and putting it's head out of the water with open mouth as if gasping. Aragon and I collected several fish in the 12 to 14 inch range from this section of river.