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Ii d.l" TRlBL'T ARIES LOCA TIOS AQUATIC HABITAT RIPARlA.'i VEGETATIOS First Fork and riffle dominated; alder/willow with some tributaries pools formed by woody streamside conifer debris Sand and variety of habitat types; Weminuche Creeks bedrock sections with alder/willow waterfalls and large pools Sheep and Indian intermittent; Creeks small pools hold water most alder/willow vears Table 1, continued First Fork and Sand, Weminuche, Indian, and Sheep Creeks are tributaries of the Piedra River. First Fork and itS tributaries are perennial streams and lie in relatively confined valleys and have moderate gradientS (1.5 - 3%). They are riffle dominated streams with occasional pools and glides. Large woody debris forms many of the pools and provides channel stability and fish cover. The substrate is predominantly cobble with gravel and some boulders. Sand and Weminuche Creeks are also perennial and have both steep, narrow canyons and broad, lower gradient sections. Substrate is quite variable and there are several bedrock sections which have waterfalls and large pools. Sheep and Indian Creeks are steep gradient. intermittent tributaries to the lower reach of the Piedra River. Substrate is primarily boulder and cobble sized material. There are small pools which comain water in most years and provide some habitat for resident fish. The Piedra River suppons a variety of game and non-game fish species. Rainbow trout and brown trout are stocked by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. 1991 population surveys by Division of Wildlife. Forest Service teams found individuals of both species smaller than the size usually stocked in the mainstem of the river and some of the tributaries. This demonstrates natural reproduction. Brook trout. native Colorado River cutthroat. and cutthroat/rainbow hybrids are also present. primarily in the tributaries. Native, non-game species include monled sculpin, speckled dace. and bluehead sucker. All three of these species require clean. swift water and are importam food sources for river oner and game tish. Many interdependem elements make up tish habitat. The most obvious are water quantity and quality. Other critical elementS are cover. food supply, spawning substrates. and living space. The interrelationships among these elementS is dynamic and tish must adapt and respond [Q a wide range of conditions including the annual range of streamtlow plus periodic tloods and droughts. The habitat factors which enable fish to survive this range of conditions are deep pools. glides, and cover provided by boulders, large woody debris. ledges. and streamside vegetation. These habitat factors are created and maintained in a dynamic equilibrium by the presently occurring range of tlows. Page 10