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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />0066 <br /> <br />~~ <br />., . <br />-, ~ <br /> <br />3.18 <br /> <br />two study reaches exhibiting about 0.5 percent of the total area as potential <br /> <br /> <br />spawning substrate. <br /> <br />water quality data from the Glenwood Springs to Cameo section of the <br /> <br /> <br />Colorado River indicate that water quality is good (Appendix B, Table B.5). <br /> <br /> <br />Dissolved solids concentrations are moderate during the low-flow periods <br /> <br />(September-April) and suspended solids concentrations are high during the peak <br /> <br /> <br />flow period (April-August). Water temperatures range from about 520 Fin <br /> <br /> <br />April to 710 F in September. <br /> <br /> <br />Aquatic habitats have been characterized in the Colorado River between <br /> <br /> <br />Palisade and Rifle (Valdez et al., 1982). In the section from DeBeque to <br /> <br />Rifle, shallow- to moderate-depth runs and riffles with numerous pools and <br /> <br /> <br />eddies are the predominant habitat types. Backwater areas are uncommon. <br /> <br /> <br />Maximum depth is about 18 feet with a mean depth of about 2 feet. Bottom <br /> <br />substrates consist mainly of gravel, rubble, and boulder with some silt and <br /> <br /> <br />sand. The section of the Colorado River from palisade to DeBeque has been <br /> <br /> <br />altered considerably by Interstate Highway 70 and the Union Pacific Railroad <br /> <br /> <br />rights of way. Habitat in this stretch consists mostly of runs, pools, <br /> <br /> <br />eddies, and few backwaters. Banks riprapped with boulders are common in this <br /> <br /> <br />stretch. Substrate is similar to the DeBeque-Rifle segment except that sand <br /> <br /> <br />and silt areas are limited to the small reservoir created by the Government <br /> <br /> <br />Highline Dam. The dam also seems to be an effective fish barrier restricting <br /> <br /> <br />upstream movement. Maximum and mean depths in this segment are 17 feet and 6 <br /> <br /> <br />feet, respectively. <br /> <br />3.3.2 Fish <br /> <br /> <br />Fish populations in Ruedi Reservoir are comprised mainly of salmonid spe- <br /> <br /> <br />cies (Table 3.9). Of the seven species collected in previous surveys, five <br /> <br />are game fish: rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), brown trout (Salmo trutta), <br /> <br /> <br />brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and <br /> <br /> <br />kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) (Finnel, 1977). Native cutthroat trout <br /> <br /> <br />(Salmo clarki pleuriticus) were stocked in 1972 but no specimens have been <br /> <br />collected in recent surveys (Nesler, 1979). Habitat requirements for these <br /> <br /> <br />salmonid species are summarized in Table 3.10. The only non-salmonid species <br />