Younq-of-the-year sport fish taken in the Yellowstone River tributaries 

 indicates the importance of these streams for maintaining the integrity 

 of the lower Yellowstone. While it is difficult to evaluate the relative 

 importance of these streams to the reproductive potential of lower 

 Yellowstone fish populations, it demonstrates that these streams do provide 

 spawning and nursery areas. When resource development decisions are 

 made, the importance of these tributaries should be considered. Channel 

 catfish and northern pike were collected in Smith Creek, but may also 

 utilize other streams as well. 



5 



Classification of streams in the study area indicates that these 

 prairie streams are important from the standpoint of species and their 

 habitat values. A serious problem in the preservation of aquatic habitat 

 is the measurement of the total worth of a stream. A fishery (either 

 recreational or scientific) does not lend itself to conventional means 

 of measurement and is too often sold short in comprehensive planning that 

 involves water resources. Two streams inventoried in this study, Beaver 

 Creek and Box Elder Creek, were placed in resource value class which is 

 considered high priority resource fisheries. Decisions concerning 

 resource development in these drainages should be made only after the 

 potential impacts are carefully considered. 



Among the primary concerns about leasing Federal coal reserves and 

 the subsequent energy devleopment are the effects of coal extraction on 

 water quality, the influences of water withdrawals for coal combustion 

 and the impacts of water storage projects for marketing the water in 

 other basins. In a strip mine operation, topsoil and overburden are 

 removed and set aside, sections of a coal seam removed and consumed, 

 and eventually the void is refilled with overburden (spoils) and recovered 

 with the stored topsoil. As a result of this operation, the normal flow 

 of the aquifer and of surface water is disturbed. Natural chemical and 

 biological processes are altered, hastened or retarded. These may affect 

 the quality of water passing through the mine site area, and in turn alter 

 the biological structure of the subsequent receiving waters - the nearby 

 streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. 



Studies on the influences of coal mining on subsurface and surface 

 water quality have suggested major impacts (Thurston, et al. 1976). 

 Ground and ground water disturbances associated with mining activity 

 enhances mineralization processes and thereby increases the rates of 

 dissolution of many ionic substances in natural waters (VanVoast and 

 Hedges, 1975). Therefore, it appears likely that coal mining operations 

 in the Beaver Creek or lower Yellowstone basins would alter the water 

 quality and impact the aquatic system. Discharge waters from the West 

 Decker mine have been shown to contain higher concentrations of certain 

 ions than the receiving waters (Whalen, et al. 1976). Water running over 

 mine overburden and spoils result in relatively large amounts of soluble 

 sulfate and carbonate compounds being leached from the overburden and 

 spoils, resulting in an increase in salinity. Beaver Creek, Little Beaver 

 Creek, Box Elder Creek, Smith Creek and Krug Creek all were classed as 

 substantial or better fishery resources and should be protected from 

 environmental degradation. 



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