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52,04 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FOR SIIRFACE OR UNDERGROIIND MINING ACTIVITIES -- <br />_ MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR INFORMATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES. <br />2,04.11 Fish and Wildlife Resources Information. (Cont'd.) <br />(1) (Cont'd.) <br />Most of the biomass of fish in the Paonia Studv area came from <br />non-sport species and the total standing crop appears to be <br />low based on Thorne Studies (Erickson 1477; Erickson, personal <br />communication). Estimates of biomass of fish taken in the <br />Paonia study resulted in an assessment of a low standing crop <br />of fish (less than 25 pounds per surface acre). Actual values <br />ranged from two to ten pounds/acre, and of this, 70 percent <br />were suckers. The stations sampled just upstream and just <br />downstream of the mouth of Stevens Gulch were in the order of <br />20-30 percent of the upper stations. This compares with an <br />estimate of 140 pounds per acre from the Division of Wildlife <br />data of the Somerset area. <br />Other Consumers <br />Other consumers in the aquatic system include bullfrogs, cray- <br />fish, birds (Kingfishers and mallard ducks) and mammals such <br />as raccoon. Man as consumer (fisherman) apparently is not a <br />significant consumer of fish from the North Fork Paonia area <br />based upon conversations with the Division of Wildlife person- <br />. nel and local residents. <br />Productivity <br />No data are available on the rates of production of primary <br />producers and consumers. The best information available is <br />based on estimates of standing crops of benthos and fish. <br />These data indicate a moderate productivity of benthic organ- <br />ism nwnbers per meter squared. However, considerations of the <br />relatively small size of many of the organisms and the severe- <br />ly reduced area of streambed from very low flows contribute to <br />an assessment of low productivity of the North Fork in the <br />Paonia area. It is likely that higher productivity exists <br />above major diversions where a large portion of the streambed <br />contains flows. <br />Fish productivity is generally poor in the Paonia area based <br />upon the poor production of benthic organisms, the low water <br />conditions in summer and fall (and consequent loss of habi- <br />tat), and the low catch per-acre of fisheries surveys in the <br />area. Sport fish production can be considered almost nonex- <br />istant in this area of the river. Most of the production is <br />from the minnow or sucker families and primarily from the <br />white suckers. <br />• Revised 12(26/84 <br />Revised 10/01/87 <br />82 <br />