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<br />. <br /> <br />Historic low benn placed along the river cOllpled with the increased energy these cause during high <br />flow events has resulted in moderate to slight entrenchment of the river channel in this area. This <br />interaction served to assure abandonment. of the floodplain during high flow events. Another <br />important aspect of this restoration effort w,as to enhance floodplain wetlands, waterfowl, and off <br />channel fisheries habitat by reconnecting Ii series of oxbows that were abandoned due to this <br />floodplain manipulation. The OxbowlFlo<;Jdplain Fish Habitat Improvements were designed to <br />excavate upland areas adjacent to abandoned historic wetlands and install small ponds. The <br />installation of ponds provided sufficient depth and flow through to allow fishery use. Fish that <br />migrate into these ponds from the river can spawn and the ponds provide much needed nursery <br />habitat for fmgerIing brown trout. Water surface elevations for the ponds were designed to provide <br />hydration of existing and seasonally abandoned wetland areas to provide rehabilitation of those <br />wetlands as well. Water is provided to the OxbowlFloodplain Fish Habitat Improvements via <br />connection to the alignment ofthe High-Miller ditch located on the Mt. Powell Ranch. A measuring <br />device is in place on the High-Miller ditch to measure inflows. Discharge from the oxbows to the <br />Blue River occurs at the historic discharge point for these wetland areas into the river. <br /> <br />Results of Monitoring: <br /> <br />Monitoring was completed to provide a comparative database that describes biological and physical <br />channel conditions in the Blue River through the Mt. Powell Ranch after completion of the <br />restoration. Quantitative fishery sampling was completed in 2002, 2003 and 2005. <br />Macroinvertebrate sampling as an estimate of stream health was completed in 2005. Physical <br />monitoring included reevaluation ofthe 3.5 mile reach of the Blue River that contains the Blue River <br />Fish Habitat Improvements using the U.S. Forest Service's Channel Stability rating technique and <br />Trout Habitat Assessment technique and re-survey of 4 river cross sections to identify changes in <br />these profiles. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />· Fisheries Population Estimates: <br /> <br />Page 6 of 10 <br /> <br />. <br />