Aquatic Biota Monitoring on the Humboldt River, Nevada, in Relation to Mine Dewatering Discharges u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Environmental Quality Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office Reno, Nevada Aquatic Biota Monitoring on the Humboldt River, Nevada, in Relation to Mine Dewatering Discharges by Stanley N. Wiemeyer, Peter L. Tuttle1, and Damian K. Higgins U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office 1340 Financial Blvd, Suite 234 Reno, Nevada 89502-7147 Environmental Contaminants Program Off-Refuge Investigations Sub-Activity FFS #:1130-1F25 DEC I.D. #: 9810007.2 July 2004 1 Currently at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Daphne Field Office, Daphne, Alabama ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ............................................................. ii List of Tables ................................................................ iii List of Appendices ............................................................ iv List of Figures ................................................................v Executive Summary ............................................................1 Introduction ..................................................................4 Methods .....................................................................6 Monitoring Sites .........................................................6 Sediment ..............................................................7 Biological Samples ......................................................8 Chemical Analyses .......................................................9 Water Quality Data .....................................................10 Statistical Analysis ......................................................10 Results .....................................................................11 Sediment .............................................................11 Vegetation ............................................................11 Algae ..........................................................11 Pondweed and Chara ..............................................11 Aquatic Invertebrates ....................................................12 Dragonfly larvae ..................................................12 Crayfish ........................................................12 Corixids ........................................................13 Fish ..................................................................13 Lahontan redside .................................................13 Tahoe sucker ....................................................13 Carp ...........................................................14 Other species ....................................................14 Fish condition ....................................................14 Avian Eggs ............................................................14 Avian Livers ...........................................................15 American coot ...................................................15 Avocets and stilts .................................................16 Discussion ..................................................................16 Humboldt River Flows ...................................................16 Humboldt River Water Quality ............................................16 Nevada Division of Environmental Protection - Total ....................16 Nevada Division of Environmental Protection - Dissolved .................17 U.S. Geological Survey - Total ......................................17 U.S. Geological Survey - Dissolved ..................................18 Water Quality of Discharges ..............................................18 Newmont Gold Quarry .............................................18 iii Table of Contents - continued Barrick Goldstrike ................................................19 Lone Tree .......................................................19 Discharge vs. Humboldt River or Maggie Creek Water Quality ...................20 Newmont Gold Quarry .............................................20 Barrick Goldstrike ................................................20 Lone Tree .......................................................21 Overall Loading ..................................................21 Elements in Sediment ...................................................22 Elements in Vegetation and Aquatic Invertebrates .............................23 Elements in Fish ........................................................24 Elements in Biological Samples in Relation to Avian Dietary Effects ..............26 Aluminum ......................................................26 Arsenic .........................................................27 Boron ..........................................................27 Cadmium .......................................................27 Chromium ......................................................27 Copper .........................................................28 Mercury ........................................................28 Molybdenum ....................................................28 Nickel ..........................................................28 Lead ...........................................................29 Selenium .......................................................29 Vanadium .......................................................29 Zinc ...........................................................29 Avian Eggs - Trends and Relations to Effects .................................30 Avian Livers - Relations to Effects .........................................31 Relations Among Water and Biota Concentrations .............................32 Relations between water and biota ....................................32 Algae ....................................................32 Aquatic invertebrates and fish .................................33 Relations between river and discharge water quality and residues in biota .....33 Potential effects of mine dewatering discharges on biota ..................34 Other potential mining-related sources ................................34 Recommendations and Conclusions ..............................................35 Acknowledgments ............................................................36 References Cited .............................................................37 LIST OF TABLES 1. Geometric mean concentrations of elements in sediment samples collected from Humboldt Lake, Humboldt Wildlife Management Area, 1990-99 .................43 iv List of Tables - continued 2. Geometric mean concentrations of elements in algae collected from the Humboldt River basin, 1998-2000 .......................................... 45 3. Geometric mean concentrations of elements in pondweed and Chara collected from the Humboldt River basin, 1998 and 1999 ...............................49 4. Geometric mean concentrations of elements in dragonfly larvae collected from the Humboldt River, 1998-2000 ...........................................51 5. Geometric mean concentrations of elements and arithmetic mean weight per individual in crayfish collected from the Humboldt River, 1998-2000 .............. 55 6. Geometric mean concentrations of elements in corixids and notonectids collected from Humboldt Lake, Humboldt Wildlife Management Area, 1998-99 ..... 59 7. Geometric mean concentrations of elements and arithmetic mean weight per fish of Lahontan redsides collected from the Humboldt River, 1998-2000 ........... 60 8. Geometric mean concentrations of elements and arithmetic mean weight per fish of Tahoe suckers collected from the Humboldt River, 1998-99 ............... 65 9. Geometric mean concentrations of elements and arithmetic mean weight per fish of carp collected from the Humboldt River, 1998-2000 ...................... 67 10. Geometric mean concentrations of elements and arithmetic mean weight per fish of various species of fish collected from the Humboldt River basin, 1998-99 ..... 69 11. Mean total length, weight, and Fulton condition factor for Lahontan redsides sampled from the Humboldt River, Nevada, 1998-2000 .........................71 12. Mean total length, weight, and Fulton condition factor for Tahoe suckers sampled from the Humboldt River, Nevada, 1998-1999 .........................72 13. Mean total length, weight, and Fulton condition factor for common carp, walleyes, Sacramento blackfish, pumpkinseeds, and white crappies sampled from the Humboldt River, Nevada, 1998-2000 ................................73 14. Geometric mean concentrations of elements in American coot and black-necked stilt eggs collected from the Humboldt River basin, 1988-99 .....................74 15. Geometric mean concentrations of elements in juvenile American coot livers collected from Humboldt Lake, Humboldt Wildlife Management Area, 1986-99 ..... 76 16. Geometric mean concentrations of elements in adult American coot livers collected from Humboldt Lake, Humboldt Wildlife Management Area, 1998-99 ..... 78 17. Geometric mean concentrations of elements in American avocet and black-necked stilt livers from Humboldt Wildlife Management Area, 1996 and 1999 .........................................................79 LIST OF APPENDICES 1. Sampling dates for monitoring of contaminants in the Humboldt River basin, 1998-2000 ............................................................82 2. Approximate coordinates of collection locations for sediment, aquatic biota, and bird eggs and livers from the Humboldt River basin, 1998-2000 ............... 83 v List of