1. Two years after the gold King mine spill: How are the fish doing in the animas river?!
Jim White, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Aquatic Biologist

2. Tonight’s Fishy Topics
Gold King Mine follow up
Status of the Animas Trout Fishery
Question and Answer

3. One basic question
Did the Gold King Mine Spill affect the fish in the Animas River?
Simple answer is NO but how do we know that?

4. The Value of Monitoring
Real-Time
After Spill
Long-term baseline
Longitudinal assessments

5. What have we monitored? Young Fish (reproduction) Sensitive Species
Juvenile and Adult Fish (recruitment)
Coldwater habitat (headwaters through Durango)

6. Real-Time Monitoring

7. Sentinel Cages 32nd Street Control Flow Hatchery High Bridge
Junction Ck
Sentinel Cages
N = 9 fish/cage
32nd Street
N = 9 fish/cage
Control
Flow
N = 9 fish/cage
Hatchery
Explain methodology including the use of rainbow trout fingerlings as sentinel fish.
N = 9 fish/cage
High Bridge

8. Sentinel Cages 32nd Street Control Flow Hatchery High Bridge
Junction Ck
Sentinel Cages
N = 9 fish/cage
32nd Street
N = 9 fish/cage
Control
Flow
N = 9 fish/cage
Hatchery
Explain monitoring schedule and time frame.
N = 9 fish/cage
High Bridge

9. Results and Summary
Of the 108 sentinel fish (rainbow trout fingerlings) exposed for 118 hours in the plume 1 dead fish was found in the live cages
All fish were frozen and sent to CDPHE – no analyses have been done on these fish
Emphasize past 96 hour time period. All fish were euthanized and preserved and sent to CDPHE. No testing has be done on these fish.

10. (trout fry and small bodied fishes)
Young Fishes Survey
(trout fry and small bodied fishes)
Adult Fish
Monitoring

11. Post Spill Monitoring

12. Young Fish – Trout Fry

13. Trout Fry at Trimble Bridge
42 brown trout and 8 rainbow trout
3 brook trout

14. Sensitive Fish – Mottled Sculpin

15. Juvenile and Adult Monitoring in Durango
1981

16. Baseline
Ca. 2004

17. Baseline
2006

18. Baseline
2015

19. Gold Medal Measurements
Biomass (60 pounds of fish per surface acre)
Quality (12 fish over 14 inches per surface acre)

20. Biomass

21. Quality

22. Recruitment (The Future!)
More Big Browns 2017&18?!

23. Upper Animas River Sites
Teft Spur (Above Cascade Creek)
Elk Park Wye (Above Elk Creek)
A72 (Below Silverton)
Howardsville (not pictured; above Silverton)

24. Longitudinal monitoring: Teft Spur

25. Teft Spur

26. Teft Spur
Year
BROOK
BROWN
RAINBOW
CUTBOW
Grand Total
1992 65 8 1 74
1998 72 7 2 82
2005 39 3 43
2010 16
2014 9 11
2015 22 24
2016
230 17
258

27. Longitudinal monitoring: Elk Park Wye

28. Elk Park Wye
Rained out

29. Longitudinal monitoring: A72
NO FISH

30. Longitudinal monitoring: Howardsville

31. Howardsville

32. Other Upper Animas Waters

33. BRK PRESENT
BRK PRESENT

34. Summary
No discernible changes in fish distribution or populations in the Animas River after GKM spill
Rainbow Trout fry at Trimble Lane a good sign
Monitoring is what allows assements

35. Thank You! Questions?