1998-07-28_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - M1977493

Home Browse Search

URS Operrting Services,I ARR for F..SVClima.'e- START,EPA Region VIII Revision: 0!• Contract No.68-W5-0031 Date` 04/1998 Page 12 of 37 Sources at the CM site are uncontained with respect to the surface water pathway. The CM site is located at the headwaters of the Arkansas River,the Eagle River and Tenmile Creek(USGS 1970a). Surface water flowing toward the Arkansas River and Eagle River drainages is pumped back up to the continental divide and over to the Tenmile Creek drainage. Water from Tenmile Creek flows into Dillon Reservoir approximately 12.1 downstream miles north-northeast of the CM NPDES discharge(Figure 1). Dillon Reservoir is a drinking water supply storage for the city of Denver. The drinking water intake for water stored in Dillon Reservoir is located approximately 55 miles downstream on the South Platte River at Strontia Springs Reservoir. Water is delivered from the east end of Dillon Reservoir via the Harold D. Roberts Tunnel to the South Platte River along highway 285 near the city of Grant,Colorado(City of Denver, Water Commission 1993). In the late 1880s,the fishery on Tenmile Creek was completely eradicated by the impacts of acidic mine water drainage,smelter effluent,and waste from the mining settlements. By 1971,Tenmile Creek was restored as a fishery with the installation of the two diversion canals by CM, which reduced acid mine drainage released to Tenmile Creek(Amax Mineral Resources Company 1992). The headwaters of Tenmile Creek have been diverted from historical flow patterns to avoid contact with site contaminants. Please refer to Section 4.4"Surface Water Pathway,"of the SSI FSP for a more detailed description of historical flow diversions of Tenmile Creek. Tenmile Creek is a viable fishery that supports game fish species including brook, cutthroat and rainbow trout(CIVIC 1980). Production data for Tenmile Creek have not been compiled(State of Colorado, Division of Wildlife 1993). Clinton Reservoir is a popular fishing location with easy public access (URS 1993). National Wetlands Inventory maps have not been completed for this region but approximately 0.56 miles of palustrine scrub-shrub and forested wetland frontage were observed and delineated along the first 3.1 miles of Tenmile Creek(URS 1994). These wetlands are potential stopping points for migratory waterfowl and potential roosting and hunting areas for Bald Eagles(U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service 1993). 7.0 FISH TISSUE SAMPLES Two fish tissue samples (one ten-inch rainbow trout and one ten-inch brown trout) were collected from Tenmile Creek immediately downgradient of the CM NPDES outfall. Fillets were collected from these two fish and submitted for analyses. Because no upgradient fish tissue samples were collected,these two fish 75-51119.00 F:\STARnCL[MAX\Final.ARR\CUMAX.TXT.wpd:bas