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<br />The Dunn Creek site is at the same location as Station 3 in the pre- <br />impoundment study (Bonde and Bush 1975). <br /> <br />Six benthic invertebrate samples were taken at each station each <br />month (except December and February) for a one-year period. The sampling <br />was done when releases from Libby Dam were at or near the operational <br />minimum flow of 4,000 cfs. Water depths and mean current velocity measured <br />at the 15.2 cm depth were taken just upstream from each benthic sample. <br />During the first year (October 1979 - September 1980), 252 quantitative <br />benthic samples were collected and analyzed numerically and volumetrically. <br />An additional 36 quantitative benthic samples were collected during October, <br />1980 and January, March and May, 1981. <br /> <br />Three samples were taken at each station and three different samplers <br />were used to reduce biomass. The modified Knapp-Waters sampler (Waters <br />and Knapp 1961) which was used in preimpoundment studies (Bonde and Bush <br />1975) was used at the Dunn Creek, Elkhorn and Fisher River sites. It <br />could not be effectively used at the Pipe Creek station due to the very <br />large substrate size at that site. The other two samplers employed, <br />a modified kick net and a circular depletion sampler (Carle 1976) were <br />designed for use in large substrates. Both of these samplers enclosed <br />a sample area of 0.33 m2 and have a mesh size of 150 ~m, compared with <br />a sample area of 0.093 m2 and a mesh size of 471 ~m for the Knapp-Waters <br />sampler. The circular sampler was used at the Pipe Creek site in place <br />of the Knapp-Waters sampler and the kick net was used at all four sites. <br /> <br />After the sampler was placed over the substrate, rocks within the <br />enclosed area were lifted and brushed free of insects by hand. After <br />all rocks were cleaned and removed, the remaining substrate was disturbed <br />by kicking for 15 seconds. Insects were collected in the cod end of <br />each sampler. These insects were removed and placed in jars containing <br />10 percent formalin and Rose Bengal stain. <br /> <br />Laboratory analysis of each sample included placing the sample in <br />a white porcelain tray and sorting out all insects larger than 2 mm in <br />length. These larger insects were identified to order and preserved <br />in separate vials. The remaining sample was divided into eight subsamples <br />and all insects removed from one subsample. These insects were sorted <br />to order and preserved in vials. Occasionally, a larger or smaller sub- <br />sample was taken depending upon the mass of insects in the total sample. <br /> <br />All insects except dipterans were identified to the lowest taxonomic <br />group possible and enumerated using a laboratory counter. Dipterans <br />were sorted into Chironomidae and other taxonomic groups and counted. <br />Biomass was measured by volume displacement, with any volume less than <br />0.1 ml assigned a trace value of 0.05 ml. Volumetric measurements were <br />made with the use of a 50 milliliter burette and a graduated centrifuge <br />tube. <br /> <br />Adult insects were collected at all four sample stations from rocks <br />and vegetation with sweep nets or by hand. Pit traps (buried cans con- <br />taining formalin covered with a thin film of diesel fuel to prevent <br /> <br />-3- <br />