STUDY NUMBER ; 3.2 



ORGANIZATION : Montana Department of State Lands (MDSL) - Hard 

 Rock Mining Bureau 



TITLE OF STUDY ; Studies Associated with Montoro's German Gulch 

 Project 



CONTACT ( S ) ; Kit Walther - Montana Department of State Lands 



- Environmental Impact Statement Team Leader - 

 444-2711 



Jerry Wells - Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife 

 and Parks, Bozeman - 586-5419 



OBJECTIVE ; Establish baseline water quality and biological condi- 

 tions and determine instream flow needs for trout on German Gulch. 



DURATION ; May-September 1984 (plus additional studies, if needed, 

 in the future) 



CURRENT STATUS ; The Montoro Gold Company of Reno, Nevada, has 

 proposed to develop a surface mine and ore processing plant and 

 tailings disposal facility in the German Gulch drainage (a tri- 

 butary of Silver Bow Creek near Gregson) . In anticipation of 

 an Environmental Impact Statement, this study collected water 

 quality, macroinvertebrate, periphyton and trout population data 

 at three sites on the stream; 



Below Edward Creek (Headwaters) 

 Below Beefstraight Creek 

 Near the mouth 



Wetted perimeter/stream discharge relationships were plotted 

 for each station, with minimum flows determined by inflection 

 points on the curves (as per the wetted perimeter methodology). 



The University of Montana genetics laboratory has determined 

 that trout inhabiting German Gulch are a pure strain of westslope 

 cutthroat trout. 



FUTURE ACTIVITIES ; Montoro has decided to reassess development 

 of this project. Unless or until a decision is made by the com- 

 pany to reactivate their application for an operating permit, 

 no further studies are planned. 



PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS 



Aquatic Evaluation and Instream Flow Recommendations for Selected 

 Reaches of German Gulch Creek, Silver Bow County, Montana (De- 

 cember, 1984). Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 



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