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BUREAU
OF LAND MANAGEMENT
TITLE: Effects
of Siltation and Salinization of the San Juan River on the Survival and Recovery
of the Colorado Squawfish and Razorback Sucker
SUBMITTING
BUREAU: Bureau of
Land Management
BIN
NUMBER:
BLM04CR98
BRD
REGION:
Central
DESCRIPTION
OF NEED: The
San Juan River originates high in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern
Colorado and flows in a southwesterly to westerly direction where it ends at the
confluence with the Colorado River in Utah. The majority of the San Juan River
flows through a semi‑desert region covered with sparse vegetation and
highly erosive soils that are formed mainly from sandstone and shale parent
materials. Historically, the San Juan River has been a sandy, silt laden river.
Personal journals and logs kept by early explorers, fur trappers, and settlers
that ventured into the region mention the high levels of the sand and silt
content of the San Juan River.
To
date, studies have focused on historical flows and simulation of the natural
hydrograph and its relationship to the survival of the Colorado squawfish and
the razorback sucker, as well as heavy metals impacts and polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbon toxicity below the Navajo Dam. Bureau of Reclamation's water
releases from Navajo Dam have been successful in simulating the natural
hydrograph based on historical flow data prior to the construction of the dam.
However, the quality of water used is different than pre‑dam era due to
the reservoir's effects both on solids settling and chemical reactions.
Investigations into the effects of silt and salt contents of the San Juan River
water and its relationship to the survival and recovery of the Colorado
squawfish and razorback sucker are non‑existent or un‑published. BLM
feels that siltation differences and salinization differences may have changed
the habitat and water quality characteristics that the species prefer. The
effects of erosion below the dam may also appear more drastic since the dam was
constructed because the upper sections of the San Juan, Piedra and the Los Pinos
Rivers have been contained, with 30 miles of lake to settle their contents. They
may, in fact, be more impacted due to road development in the San Juan Basin,
but there is little to no documentation of sediment loading in the area.
Detailed
need:
1.
Historical
review of siltation and salinization of the San Juan River prior to construction
of man made dams.
2.
Effects of silt and salt content of the San Juan River water and its
relationship to the survival of the Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker.
3.
Effects of solids settling and chemical reactions due to reservoirs and
their effect on the survival and recovery of the Colorado squawfish and
razorback sucker.
4.
Impacts of road
development in the San Juan Basin and their impact on sediment load in the area.
MANAGEMENT
PROBLEM WITH NEED: To further the understanding of proposed and
BLM
BUREAU CONTACTS:
Joel Farrell (505) 599-6310
Dale
Wirth (505) 599-6320, dwirth@nm0151wp.nmso.nm.blm.gov)
BRD
PRIMARY CENTER: Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC)
BRD
CENTER CONTACT: Susan Finger
RESULTS
OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY00):
Studies conducted on the San Juan River have resulted
in a final completion report delivered to BLM, a Masters Thesis from New Mexico
State Univeristy at Las Cruces, and numerous scientific presentations and
posters at national meetings. Scientists from CERC are working with the
extensive data set available from the San Juan Basin to evaluate the
relative importance of multiple stressors in this river system.
Information from the completed thesis on benthic invertebrates suggests
that habitat limitations in the system are a major factor influencing the
densities of fish species including the endangered razorback suckers and
Colorado squawfish. In this study,
benthic community composition and diversity increased when species were offered
suitable habitat. Lack of
interstitial spaces in the substrate likely limit the success of benthic
communities in this system. This
same degraded benthic habitat affects the fish populations indirectly through
lack of available food and also limits the success of fish reproduction.
Further analysis of existing results is ongoing with the intention of
developing a model incorporating chemical and physical characteristics of the
San Juan Basin.
DATE
SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: March 13, 2000
PREPARED
BY:
Susan Finger and Ann Allert, Columbia Environmental Research Center
RESULTS
OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY99): Studies in the San Juan Basin by BRD, BLM, and FWS have
focused on historical flows and simulation of the natural hydrograph and its
relationship to the survival of the Colorado squawfish and the razorback sucker,
as well as potential toxicity of irrigation drainwater, heavy metals, and
polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons below the Navajo Dam.
BLM feels that siltation differences and salinization differences may
have changed the habitat and water quality characteristics that the species
prefer. The effects of erosion
below the dam may also appear more drastic since the dam was constructed
because the upper sections of the San Juan, Piedra and the Los Pinos
Rivers have been contained, with 30 miles of lake to settle their contents. BRD
has been in contact with BLM to discuss San Juan Basin issues in April, May,
July, and August of 1998. CERC has
also presented information on BRD projects conducted in cooperation with BLM at
several national meetings and most recently discussed the methods for
interpreting the effects of salinity and siltation as two of many stressors
affecting fisheries in that system. CERC is using information from several studies
conducted in this basin to evaluate the relative importance of different
ecological factors on the success of razorback suckers and Colorado squawfish.
Issues associated with salinization in the San Juan River link directly
to irrigation input. Existing
studies have documented increases in water salinity as the river moves
downstream from Navajo Dam. Recently completed studies on benthic invertebrate
communities are being used to evaluate the level of siltation in stretches of
the river below Navajo Dam and determine the quality of the habitat.
Because of the many anthropogenic changes in this basin, it will be
impossible to attribute reduced numbers of razorback suckers and Colorado
squawfish to a single cause. However,
it may be possible to determine the relative importance of multiple stressors in
determining population success. ECRC
has been involved in projects in the San Juan Basin since 1994.
Contacts with Joel Farrel and other BLM contacts will continue on a
regular basis.
DATE
SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: December 18,1998
PREPARED
BY: Steve
Hamilton and Susan Finger, Columbia Environmental Research Center
RESULTS
OF BRD‑INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY98):
BRD
studies during the past three years have investigated the effects of potential
oil and gas development on aquatic resources in the San Juan River. The final
report is near completion and should be in the hands of BLM’s
Farmington, NM office by March. Additional work has been completed on the
effects of inorganic elements associated with irrigation practices on the
flannelmouth sucker in the San Juan River. Both studies have investigated issues
that relate to salinization in the San Juan River. Both studies have also shown
increases in water salinity as the river moves downstream from Navajo Dam.
Habitat quality which includes aspects of siltation has also been addressed in a
separate study with information to be available within the year. Of the four
detailed needs listed in this BIN, information is currently available for the
potential effects of the salinity and associated contaminants on the survival of
native fishes. Attempts will be made to identify resources to compile a
historical review of siltation and salinization of the San Juan river prior to
dams.
DATE
SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: November 14, 1997
PREPARED
BY: Steve
Hamilton, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Field Research Station,
Yankton, RR 1, Box 295, Yankton, SD 57078‑9214, 605‑665‑9217
and Susan Finger, Columbia Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Road,
Columbia, MO 65201, 573‑875‑5399 ext.1850
BUREAU
OF LAND MANAGEMENT
BIN
REPORT
TITLE: Abandoned Mine Reclamation Pilot Initiative
SUBMITTING
BUREAU:
Bureau of Land Management
ORIGINATING
OFFICE: Montana State
Office
BIN
NUMBER:
BLM09CR98
BRD
REGION:
Central
DESCRIPTION
OF NEED: Biologic
Assessment and Monitoring of Priority Watersheds involved in Interdepartmental
Abandoned Mine Land Initiative. Land management agencies require assessment of
fisheries, macroinvertebrate, pheriphyton, etc, to determine the success of
cleaning up abandoned mines and to target their clean-up efforts. The purpose of
the biological assessment is to identify the source and movement of metals in
key aquatic organisms, provide an assessment of exposure and health status of
resident fish, and determine if exposure has resulted in a quantitative loss in
fish populations in the Boulder River Basin.
The
aquatic studies are needed to define baseline conditions for metals loading in
various aquatic communities and to determine the magnitude and pathways of
exposure from mining waste activities. Analysis
of baseline and metals‑impacted streams will allow us the opportunity to
determine the loss in quantity and health of the fishery resource and determine
how this loss relates to metals exposure through various pathways. The recovery
of fishery resources will be one of the gages by which we measure the success of
remediation in the Boulder River Basin.
Integration
of the biological tasks in this study with results of water and sediment
analyses will allow assessment of the overall impact of metals on the Boulder
River Basin. Interpretation of the results from the physical, chemical, and
biological monitoring will establish a baseline for the basin and provide
another gage by which we can measure the success of restoration on
mining‑impacted areas. The
following represent tasks associated with this bureau need.
Task
1. Biological
Pathways Assessment
Four
samples each of biofilm, benthic macro invertebrates, and fish will be collected
from 12 sites. Test sites will include upper and lower Basin Creek, upper and
lower Cataract Creek, upper and lower High Ore Creek; and the Boulder River
below Basin Creek, Cataract Creek, near Galena Gulch, and at the town of
Boulder. Reference sites will include the Boulder River near Red Rock Creek and
the Little Boulder River. Biofilm and benthic invertebrates will be collected
from the river by standard procedures. Fish will be obtained from a hatchery
source and held in live containers to assure the presence of fish at all sites
and to provide consistency in size and species of fish analyzed. Samples will be
analyzed by AA and/or ICP‑MS to determine the concentration of As, Cd, Cu,
Pb, and Zn.
Task
2. Fish
Population Assessments
A
quantitative fish population analysis will be performed on three test and two
reference sites. The test sites are thought to be impacted by mining wastes and
to represent sites where metals contamination may be the major limiting factor
to the fishery resource. The test sites include the Boulder River near Galena
Gulch, lower Basin Creek, and lower Cataract Creek. Reference sites were
selected according to their comparability to the test sites in valley and
habitat type, stream gradient, pool-to-riffle ratio, and presence of like
species and size of fish. The Boulder River near Red Rock Creek and the Little
Boulder River were selected as reference sites and have no known impacts from
mining. The quantitative fish
population analyses will be performed on 300-m sections of streams by
standardized 3‑pass, mark and recapture or 2-3 pass depletion methods.
Population analysis will determine fish species composition, abundance, and
population structure. Physical habitat will be assessed at each site to assure
that test and reference sites have equivalent habitat. Aquatic
macroinvertebrates will be collected from each site by standard procedures to
determine biotic integrity of the benthic community. A Hess sampler will be used
to collect four samples at each site. Abundance and diversity of insect taxa
will be measured for each sample and each site will be evaluated by using a
metals-olerant index which was developed for the Clark Fork River. A qualitative
fish assessment will be performed at additional sites including upper Catarak,
and upper and lower High Ore Creek. This survey will be performed to determine
the species and abundance of fish (catch per unit effort) present. Physical
habitat assessments and analysis of the benthic community also will be performed
at these sites.
Task
3. Fish
Exposure and Health Status Assessment
Ten
fish will be collected from each of the five sites in Task 2 to measure the
exposure of selected target tissues to metals. Lipid peroxidation and
metallothionein will be measured in the target tissues to associate fish health
with metals exposure. The following fish tissues will be analyzed for metals
exposure and health assessment: gill, kidney, liver, pyloric caeca, and
intestine. Concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn will be determined in target
tissues by AA and ICP‑MS. This information will help identify the source
(water, diet, systemic) and amount of exposure. Measurements of metallothionein
and lipid peroxidation will be determined on target tissues by standard
procedures to determine if physiological impairment and tissue damage have
occurred. These measures of health impairment will be compared to metals
concentration to determine the health risk of the fish community.
Metallothionein is a metal binding protein that is induced in certain tissues by
metals such as Cd, Cu, and Zn. Formation of metallothionein is an energy
consumptive process that results in reduced energy available for growth and
maintenance. Lipid peroxidation is a process by which peroxides are formed with
fatty acids in the cell membrane. Lipid peroxidation results in a loss of the
integrity of the cell membrane and an inability of the cell to control its
fluidity; this process can lead to cell and tissue death; metals are known to
act as a catalyst in this process.
MANAGEMENT
PROBLEM WITH NEED: Determine the improvement in beneficial use attainment
(cold water aquatic life) from cleaning up abandoned mine lands on a watershed
basis.
BLM
BUREAU CONTACT: Tim Bozorth, (406) 255‑2794 email tbozorth@mt.blm.gov
BRD
PRIMARY CENTER: Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) Fort Collins Science Center
(MESC)
BRD
CENTER CONTACT: Susan Finger (Lee Ischinger)
RESULTS
OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY00): The AML Team has participated in numerous national meetings
and workshops during the last year. In
addition, a session on Abandoned Mine Land issues was organized and presented at
the 1999 DOI Conference on the Environment.
Work on this effort by the Columbia Environmental Research Center and the
Fort Collins Science Center continues in both the Colorado and the
Montana basins. All field studies
are completed in both basins and scientists are analyzing data and preparing
project-specific final reports. In
the Montana watershed, whole bodies of fish had elevated concentrations of all
metals but, Cd, Cu, and Pb, with metals most concentrated in liver and gill.
In fact, the fish gills accumulated similar concentrations of Cd as did
the benthic invertebrates. The
elevated concentrations of metals were associated with depressed populations and
sizes of fish. For example,
Cataract Creek had the smallest estimated fish populations, smallest sized fish,
and the greatest metal concentrations. In
the Colorado watershed, USGS teams are currently defining sub-basins and working
with BLM to define sites that will most likely result in meaningful restoration.
Information on the geology of the basin, sources and loading rates, and
biological responses is being integrated to assist BLM in management decisions.
For both basins, all project-specific reports by all USGS disciplines
will be completed this fiscal year. A
synthesis document describing each watershed will be prepared during the next
fiscal year. Project completion is
currently scheduled for the end of FY2001.
DATE
SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: March 13, 2000
PREPARED
BY: Susan
Finger, CERC, 573‑876‑1850
RESULTS
OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY99): This BIN is currently being addressed by all four USGS
divisions under the Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative (http://wwwrvares.er.usgs.gov/amli).
BRD studies are being conducted by CERC and MESC in Boulder River in
Montana and in the Animas River in Colorado.
BRD is applying techniques to assess fish and invertebrate communities
and their associated habitats in the areas impacted by historic mining
activities to provide guidance to federal land management agencies for
remediation of abandoned mine lands. Work
in support of this BIN is being conducted in cooperation with BLM and USFS.
A meeting of all participants including USGS, BLM, USFS, EPA, state and
private groups, was held February 3-5 in Denver. A published proceedings is now available from this meeting.
Scientists from CERC and MESC actively participate in discussions with
BLM representatives in Colorado (Stephanie O’dell) and Montana (Tim Bozorth)
on a regular basis. FY99 funding for work on Abandoned Mine Lands is being used
to address unfunded priority issues in each watershed. Major studies on-going in Colorado and Montana include
assessment of fish health and measures of biological injury, on-site toxicity
assessments with trout, evaluation of sediment toxicity, determination of
habitat suitability for fish reproductive success, quantification of pathways of
metals exposures, and evaluation of the impacts of episodic acidic events
resulting from snowmelt or heavy runoff events.
Summaries of all these projects as well as other studies being conducted
by USGS have been provided to BLM.
DATE
SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: December 18
PREPARED
BY: Susan
Finger, Columbia Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia,
MO 65201, 573‑876‑1850
RESULTS
OF BRD‑INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY98): This BIN is currently being addressed by all four
USGS divisions under the Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative (http://wwwrvares.er.usgs.gov/amli).
BRD studies are being conducted by CERC and MESC in Boulder Creek in Montana and
in the Animas River in Colorado. BRD is applying techniques to assess fish and
invertebrate communities and their associated habitats in the areas impacted by
historic mining activities to provide guidance to federal land management
agencies for remediation of abandoned mine lands. Work in support of this BIN is
being conducted in cooperation with BLM and USFS. A meeting of all participants
including USGS, BLM, USFS, EPA, state and private groups, is scheduled for
February 3‑5 in Denver.
DATE
SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: November 14, 1997
PREPARED
BY: Susan
Finger, Columbia Environmental Research Contaminant, 4200 New Haven Road,
Columbia, MO 65201, 573-876-1850
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://biology.usgs.gov/cro/BIN99.htm
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