http://jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=8225

http://www.thecleanestline.com/2011/02/phosphate-mining-sealing-southern-idahos-fate.html

Pollution from a phosphate mine in southeast Idaho and near Star Valley is causing deformities in fish populations, including two-headed trout, conservation groups say.

Images of two-headed cutthroat trout and other deformed fish come from a 1,200-page report by J.R. Simplot Company that the company produced in an attempt to skirt Idaho Department of Environmental Quality selenium pollution rules, said Marv Hoyt, Idaho director of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. The fish were found in tributaries of the Salt River, which drains into Palisades Reservoir.

Simplot officials deny knowledge of the photographs.

The element selenium is a byproduct of phosphate mining. The element is an essential human nutrient in small doses but is a known toxin at higher doses. Selenium has been blamed for a number of livestock die-offs near phosphate mines in southeast Idaho, including 600 sheep and 18 head of cattle, Hoyt said.

The deformed fish come from Sage Creek and Crow Creek near the Smoky Canyon Mine, about 10 miles west of Afton, Hoyt said. Crow Creek is one of the major tributaries of the Salt River.

The Smoky Canyon Mine is a Superfund site, and Simplot hoped the report would help the company avoid paying the “tens of millions of dollars to clean it up,” Hoyt said.

Just before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality signed off on the Simplot report, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Joseph Skorupa reviewed the document and found serious problems, Hoyt said. Skorupa, an expert on selenium pollution, found that “in a nutshell, [Simplot scientists] misapplied a lot of the data, they failed to appropriately use … models and therefore, their conclusions are very questionable,” Hoyt said.

Indeed, in a 154-page critique entitled Technical Review: Smoky Canyon Mine Site-Specific Selenium Criterion Report, Skorupa found Simplot researchers underestimated how many fish would be deformed in waters adjacent to the Smoky Canyon Mine. The research on trout was “systematically biased low and [used an] environmentally unrealistic quantification of larval deformity rates,” Skorupa said in his critique. In other parts of the critique, Skorupa calls specific techniques used by the Simplot researchers “highly questionable” and said they used “confounded data.” Simplot refused to supply raw data for Skorupa to review, he reported. Three independent peer reviewers agreed with more than 94 percent of Skorupa’s conclusions.

Skorupa’s review shows there were more deformities than Simplot researchers were willing to admit, Hoyt said. “There were literally hundreds and hundreds of deformities in fish subjected to selenium concentrations in those streams, streams that are directly affected by the Smoky Canyon phosphate mine,” he said.

Simplot officials denied knowledge of two-headed fish.

“We’re not aware of any two-headed fish near our facilities,” Simplot spokesman David Cuoio said. “I’m not sure who took those pictures or where they were taken.”

https://plus.google.com/photos/101032726990656499862/albums/5701745697809265649?authkey=CPe8stSkpZPh8AE

A water supply specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service says recent snowfall has improved the snowpack in the state.  Lee Hackleman says snowpack is 92 percent of normal statewide after sitting at 80 percent earlier this month.

Rhett,

That was a great trip for us.
You have a great team, not to mention yourself.

Thanks again for a great adventure.
If I cant make it back, hopefully my engineer-to-be will look you up some day.

RR
(reeldealanglers — thats too good!)

Just wanted to say that I had a terrific time and was delighted with your guide Tim Koski.  I selected your outfit because you were in the top five Google results, but most importantly, you called me and were totally up front about water conditions.  The key thing is that you provided access to private fishing grounds that were running clear.  I caught cutthroat when everyone else said “too muddy; wanna raft?”

Thanks again.

Phillip

Thanks again to you and your guys Tim and Chris.  I was not up to par on setting the hook, but that’s ok.  I did catch a giant trout in Fish Creek with Tim.  It was a thrill for me.  I’ve got a good picture for all to see.  One of my goals was to have my 75 year old mother and 12 year old son each catch their first trout on a fly in the Snake river.  That was accomplished.

Your tip about fishing the Lower Flat creek also produced 5 – 7 fish for me and my older son.

If we come back out there we will certainly give you all a call.  Until then, thanks and happy fishing.

By the way, what times of year do you think are best for flyfishing in your waters (I know it is somewhat dependent upon water flow)…but I may plan a trip with a buddy for next year or thereafter.

Thanks,

Nick K

I just wanted to thank you for giving us the opportunity to float the Snake last week with Jim Dietz. He proved to be a courteous, attentive, and knowledgeable guide throughout the entire day. We caught and released several nice cutts and experienced the exhilaration of Jackson Hole scenery at its very best. I would have no hesitation in returning to fish with him again in the near future.

Thanks again,
John G.

As always Fish Creek is still producing the finest quality cutthroat this Fall.

And It’s always nice to spend the time on this creek with great fishers like Jody and Stan Reiman!

We are all about the finest quality fishing here at Reel Deal Anglers.

Here is guide Allen Riley with a 24″ New Fork brown!!

Check out this extremely colorful monster of a Brookie caught on Fish Creek by  Stan Reiman!

The badass Johnny Chase with a football of a Cutty!

Jody Reiman is one of the finest women casters I have ever seen and caught several fish of this quality.