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

Aquatic Physical Habitat and Sediment Analysis in Evaluating Mined Land Remediation Measures: A 1998 Review

By Robert T. Milhous¹

The broad goal of this project is to quantify the cause and effect relationship between the physical characteristics of the riverine habitat and the geochemistry of the river. This is being accomplished by investigating: (1) the nature of the physical habitat in the watershed above the Animas Canyon; (2) the sediment characteristics of the rivers; and (3) the links between sediment and metals. The project began in fiscal year 1997. The first two investigations are reviewed in this presentation. The objective of the first investigation is to answer the question: "Will improvement in the chemical quality of the water result in an improvement in the fishery or is the fishery limited by the physical characteristics of the streams?" This presentation compares the physical habitat in a relatively flat reach of the Animas River just above Howardsville to the habitat just below Howardsville. The objective of the second investigation is to determine the characteristics of the sediment in the river and tributaries above Elk Creek. Results for sites above and below Howardsville are presented. Sediment characterization will assist in answering the habitat question posed above and will contribute to understanding the dynamics of the sediment-metals link. The paper discusses the importance of temporal variability of physical habitat and the factors influencing the usability of the physical habitat, as well as its importance to aquatic ecosystems.

¹U.S. Geological Survey, 4512 McMurry Avenue, Ft. Collins, CO 80525 (robert_milhous@usgs.gov)

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