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Science for Watershed Decisions on Abandoned Mine Lands: Review of Preliminary Results, Denver, Colorado, February 4-5, 1998

Methodologies for Characterizing Aquatic Health and Preliminary Results, Boulder River Watershed, Montana

By Aida M. Farag,¹ Dan F. Woodward,² Donald R. Skaar,³ and William Brumbaugh⁴

The Boulder River and some of its tributaries receive direct effluent from abandoned mine adits and runoff from old tailings piles located in the basin. As a result, metals may accumulate in the sediment, water, and aquatic biota present in the Boulder River. The quantity and quality of aquatic biota and the overall ecological health of the Boulder River may have deteriorated as a result of these metal exposures. This biological assessment will identify the biological pathway of metals in the Boulder River watershed by measuring concentrations of metals in biofilm (abiotic and biotic material on rock surfaces), invertebrates, and fish collected from the Boulder River and a select number of its tributaries. These data along with data from fishery population surveys will be used to assess the ecological health of the Boulder River and its tributaries. Thus, we will determine if exposure to metals has resulted in a quantitative loss in fish populations in the Boulder River watershed. If impact has occurred, the recovery of fishery resources will be one of the gauges by which the success of remediation in the Boulder River watershed can be measured.

Reference sites on the Boulder River (near Red Rock Creek), the upper Boulder River, and the Little Boulder River were chosen to estimate the pre-mining conditions of the test sites in the Boulder River watershed. Nine test sites were identified to define the current conditions in the watershed: lower High Ore Creek, Cataract Creek above Uncle Sam Gulch, Cataract Creek below Uncle Sam Gulch, lower Cataract Creek, Jack Creek below the Bullion Mine, lower Basin Creek, Boulder River below Cataract Creek, Boulder River below Basin Creek, and Boulder River at Galena Gulch. Biofilm and benthic macroinvertebrates were collected from all sites. Fish gills, fish livers, and whole fish were collected from five sites. The concentrations of metals are currently being analyzed in all samples. In addition, metallothionein and lipid peroxidation will be measured in fish gill and liver samples. Fish-population surveys were performed at the five sites where fish were collected. Sample methodologies will be presented in detail, and any available results will be discussed.

¹U.S. Geological Survey, P.O. Box 1089, Jackson, WY 83001 (aida_farag@usgs.gov)

²U.S. Geological Survey, P.O. Box 1089, Jackson, WY 83001 (dan_woodward@usgs.gov)

³Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620

⁴U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO 65201 (william_brumbaugh@usgs.gov)

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