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Comprehensive Analytical Rav1LS Report Fast and West Willow Crcck Group B (alkalinity, non-filterable residue, sulfate, chloride, and fluoride) and Lab Group C (ammonia, nitrate/nitrite, phosphates, and total organic carbon). ~- Analyses were performed by the EPA Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) Routine Analytical Services E (RAS) and Unique Laboratory Sample Analyses (ULSA). All sample results are included in Appendix B: Validation Reports and Laboratory Data Forms. ~_ 2.0 This investigation encompasses Willow Creek and its tributaries, East and West Willow Creek (and their respective tributaries), and Windy Gulch. East and West Willow Creek originate near the Continental Divide approximately 12,000 above mean sea level (msl) about ten miles north of Creede, in Mineral County, Colorado. East and West Willow Creek have steep gradients and carve spectacular canyons for several miles above Creede. Most of the historic mining in the azea took place in East and West Willow Creek from one to three miles north of Creede at surface elevations ranging from 9,000 to 10,500 feet above msl. The two forks merge, forming Willow Creek just north of Creede, and are conveyed in a concrete flume through town. Below Creede, Willow Creek bifurcates and forms a braided stream before reaching the Rio Grande River two miles south of town. The Rio Grande River originates near the Continental Divide approximately 50 miles west of Creede. In addition to ntunerous mining sources located above Creede, the floodplain below Creede also contains a large volume of mine source material. Ninety-five percent of the land in Mineral County is Forest Service land. The population of the entire county is approximately 550 people of whom 300 live in Creede. The major industries in the area are tourism, ranching and logging. There is no active mining industry in the District at this time. The city of Creede is at an elevation of 8,838 feet above mean sea level (msl). Creede is one of the younger major mining camps in Colorado. Within six square miles north of Creede, there are at least 29 named mining sources. The impact on surface water quality of the Creede Mining District has been the subject of several investigatiotu dating back to 1976 (Woodling). In 1991 the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) constructed the East Willow Creek Passive Mine Drainage Treatment System (PMDTS) to treat drainage from the Solomon mine adit which had been identified as a contributor of metals to East Willow Creek. This nonpoint source project was funded by a grant provided under Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act and administered by the Colorado 2