Effects of ambient metals concentrations on the benthic macroinvertebrate community in the Animas River, Colorado

The Upper Animas River is located in southern Colorado at approximately 9500 feet above mean sea level near the town of Silverton in San Juan County. It drains several first and second order creeks and gulches, many of which are subject to water quality impacts from natural sources of metals and acid mine drainage and mine tailings from historical mining activity. When the State of Colorado proposed new designated uses with more stringent metal standards for the Upper Animas River, Sunnyside Gold Corp was concerned that these new proposed designated uses and their associated standards were unattainable primarily because of existing poor ambient water quality. Studies were designed to address this and other issues. This presentation focuses on ambient metal concentrations and their effect on macroinvertebrate density and composition. Aluminum, cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc were measured in the water column and in the precipitate on the gravel-cobble substrates at each location. Macroinvertebrate samples were also collected at these locations. The trends in benthic macroinvertebrate community composition in relationship to metal concentration and distribution will be discussed.