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42,04 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FOR SURFACE OR UNDERGROUND MINING ACTFVITIES -- ~- MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR INFORMATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES. 2.04.11 Fish and Wildlife Resources Information. (Cont'd.) (1) (Cont'd.) The North Fork is the major water body of the area and would be the primary recipient of any mine-related impacts. The river, in the vicinity of Paonia, is composed of a relatively undisturbed upper portion (beginning a[ the rail tres[le crossing to the silo site) and a lower section that has been much disturbed by streambed and bank manipulation. The upper area is treelined along its banks, with some meadow areas, is lightly shaded along its edges, and the stream bed is in the order of 100 feet wide in most places. The stream bottom is largely composed of good sized cobble (up to 18-20 inches) with rocks protruding from the water in places. There are no massive boulders or rocks in the stream. Under the cobble there is sand and silt, the amount depending upon location in the current and time of year in relation to flow. There is often a heavy algae coating on the cobble where currents are not too swift and silty particles often become enmeshed in the filamentous algae. Banks are undercut into tree roots in some places and gradual- . ly shallow into meadow or gravel in other places, There are generally not great extremes in water depths, most of the riv- er being fairly wide and shallow. During the October, 1976 to July, 1977 period, depths were generally a few inches [o twen- tv inches in the riffle areas and tails of larger pools, and up to 3-4 feet in the larger pools themselves during the lower flow conditions of late fall and winter. The aquatic area of the river studied is entirely below the out-takes of the three major irrigation diversions on the North Fork (Fire Mountain Canal, Farmer's Ditch and Stewart Ditch) and is severely dewa- tered during the irrigation season, The lower part of the study area in the vicinity of the mouth of Steven's Gulch on the North Fork differs from the upper in having a wider channel (to 200 feet or more) that has been much disturbed by gravel operation in the river. A large por- tion of the channel (up to 2/3 or more) is without water dur- ing summer and fall due to a diminution of snowmelt and asso- ciated run-off. Steven's Gulch enters the North Fork a short distance above the Highway 187 crossing. For the majority of its length, the Creek is ephemeral; water has only been observed in the lower Revised 10/01/87 77