_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 (289)

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Clearly I need more information on this item. 2 . Although the Crystal River has been classified as a Class 1 Cold Water Fishery by the Water Quality Control Division of the Colorado Department of Health, the Crystal River Drainage Study August 1978 - May 1979 (author unknown) located no trout between an area above Coal Creek and below North Thompson Creek, and the area around the Carbondale Fish Hatchery. It is evident that even though fish are found only in portions of the Crystal River, the entire river is classified as a cold water fishery. Coal Creek at Station #20 has recorded exceedences for SO4 (>250 mg/L) on just 3 occasions: Date Value Data Source 1978 ca. 320 Crystal River Drainage Study 10/13/88 572 Mid-Continent 10/24/88 282 Mid-Continent 3 . It is not possible to know from the data at hand whether Coal Creek has had a deliterious effect on aquatic life. The Crystal River Drainage Study (author unknown) indicates that some of the area downstream of Coal Creek had high metals concentrations (no values reported) , but that the area immediately below Coal Creek did not. The only metals data collected by Mid-Continent are nickel, and none of those are above aquatic life standards. The USGS data show the following: Crystal River below Carbondale; no metals problems . Crystal River above Coal Creek; As = 1 ug/L; no other problems . Coal Creek; detectable Cu, Pb, As, Mo, Ni, Zn, but none above aquatic life standards . The USGS data on Coal Creek were collected in 1972 and 1976, long before any sediment controls were installed. Yet even then, the metals concentrations were at very low levels. It is therefore highly unlikely that metals from Coal Creek have had an adverse impact on aquatic life in the Crystal River. 4 . The high TDS from the Mid-Continent area must be comprised mostly of Na and Ca sulfates plus dissolved clays . In these concentrations, they would not be harmful to aquatic life.