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the streams is a stone substrate. The fauna of stony <br />streams are remarkably similar the world over (Hynes 1970). <br />• The North Fork of the Gunnison River has rubble at all <br />sampling stations. Of the organisms encountered in one <br />stream, the North Fork of the Gunnison River contained 11 <br />taxa which was the second highest number. <br />The density of benthic macroinvertebrate organisms per <br />square foot collected from the aquatic environments on the <br />Mt. Gunnison No. 1 Mine study area was quite variable. A <br />riffle sample was taken from the lower station of the North <br />Fork of the Gunnison River in July. It was found to contain <br />2,160 organisms/f t2. <br />The mean density of benthic macroinvertebrates from the <br />studied streams and reservoirs was also determined. The <br />grand mean was the highest from the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison River (232.5 organisms/ft2). The diversity and <br />density of the benthic macroinvertebrate fauna appeared to <br />vary with the physical characteristics of the segment of <br />stream studied. <br />Fish <br />Ten species of fish representing four families, <br />• Salmonidae (trout), Catostomidae (suckers), Cyprinidae <br />(minnows), and Cottidae (sculpins) were encountered in the <br />studied aquatic environments on the study area. The distri- <br />bution and abundance of fish vary between studied segments <br />as indicated in Tables 2.04.116 through 2.04.11.D. The <br />threatened or endangered fish known to occur in Colorado are <br />indicated in Table 2.04.11.E. None of these species were <br />found on the Mt. Gunnison site." <br />REFERENCES <br />ARCO Coal Company, Atlantic Richfield Company. 1979. Mining and Reclama- <br />tion Plan for the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 Mine, Gunnison County, Colorado <br />Submitted to Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board. <br />Bissel, S. 1978. Colorado Mammal Distribution Latilong Study, Colorado <br />Division of Wildlife. 20 pp. <br />Colorado Dept. of Highways, U.S. Dept. Transportation and Federal Highway <br />Administration. 1978. Final Environmental Impact Statement, Hotchkiss <br />to Paonia Dam, Delta and Gunnison Counties, Colorado. 299 pp. <br />• <br />2.04-75 <br />