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ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF OIL SHALE MINING AND PROCESSING. PART I. FISHES OF PICEANCE CREEK, COLORADO, PRIOR TO OIL SHALE PROCESSING
Citation:
Goettl, Jr., J. AND J. Edde. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF OIL SHALE MINING AND PROCESSING. PART I. FISHES OF PICEANCE CREEK, COLORADO, PRIOR TO OIL SHALE PROCESSING. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-78/096 (NTIS PB289874), 1978.
Description:
The fish populations of Piceance Creek, Colorado, were surveyed to establish preoperational conditions prior to extensive oil shale processing in the region. Data collected in this study have been compared to data reported by earlier researchers. The mountain sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus) and the speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) are the most abundant and widespread fishes found in Piceance Creek. Numbers of all species were not great; the largest number of fish captured per 100 meters of stream was 76 individuals, while the range for all other stations was 3-23 fish/100 m. Brook, brown, and rainbow trout (Salvelinus fontinalis, Salmo trutta, and Salmo gairdneri, respectively) were most common in the upper reaches of Piceance Creek and in its tributaries, Black Sulfur Creek and Stewart Creek. Results of the survey indicate that brook and brown trout are reproducing naturally in Piceance Creek but rainbow trout are doing poorly. Possible impacts of oil shale processing on the fish populations of Piceance Creek are suggested.