On the Web

For more information on the Riverwatch program go to http://www.wildlife.state.co.us/riverwatch.

SUMMIT COUNTY - When a rain-triggered surge of sediment and pollution from Peru Creek swept down the Snake River and killed scores of fish last month, aquatic biologists said they were sure that toxic heavy metals from abandoned mines were to blame.

But no water samples were taken from the stream during the event, when the water ran chocolate-brown.

Measuring water quality and acidity during a fish kill is probably the key to understanding exactly why the fish died, said Dr. Mark Coleman, a Fort Collins-based aquatic biologist who helped survey the affected section of the Snake after the recent fish kill.

With only a handful of biologists to cover hundreds of miles of streams and rivers, it's not always easy to be in the right time at the right place. A citizen-based volunteer program can help resource managers immensely, Coleman said.

"One thing that locals may be able to do is learn how to collect and temporarily store fish that are killed in these streams, so that these can be turned over for analysis," Coleman said via email. "Learning from the Colorado Division of Wildlife or the U.S. Geological Survey how to collect the water samples during these types of events, and where to hand them off for analysis, can make all the difference."

"Dissolved oxygen can be measured on site with a $300 meter. Sediment load and total dissolved solids can also be measured very easily with inexpensive equipment or meters. For around $500, a local community group can have enough equipment to assess many of the possible causes of fish kills while they are occurring, whereas agencies often can't get personnel to the scene until after the cause has subsided," Coleman said.

Proper training is key to such efforts, he explained. If the testing equipment is not calibrated or used properly, it could lead resource managers to inaccurate conclusions.

The framework for a well-trained volunteer-based effort is already in place through the nonprofit Colorado Riverwatch Network. Coincidentally, the organization is actively soliciting Summit County schools and other groups schools to participate in monitoring efforts, said Riverwatch program manager Michaela Taylor. A training session for potential volunteers is coming up Sept. 23 to Sept. 26, she said.

The group is very active in other parts of the state, including the Roaring Fork Valley. In that watershed, a partnership with the Roaring Fork Conservancy and several schools means that 26 stations are tested regularly for pollutants and temperature. Monitoring conditions over time can help give a detailed picture of stream health and how it might be changing, Taylor said.

"It's another set of people out there gathering data. It would be valuable," said Tom Kroening,on of the Colorado Division of Wildlife managers in Summit County.

There is regular testing on some local streams. But some of the other drainages - the Swan River, and Ten Mile Creek - could benefit from increased monitoring, Kroening said.

"It's definitely something we support," he concluded.

"Riverwatch can also help local people connect with their environment and better understand the environmental problems we face as local communities develop and population increases," Coleman said.



<i>Bob Berwyn can be reached at (970) 331-5996, or at bberwyn@summitdaily.com.</i>