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IV. Study area (river miles, if appropriate): <br />Utah portion of the Green River. Emphasis on River Miles 57-47 at Mineral <br />Bottom and River Miles 261-251 near Ouray, Utah. <br />V. Study Methods/Approach: <br />Within the designated Green River reaches (Ouray and Mineral Bottom - see <br />study area) intensive fish and physical habitat sampling will occur in <br />spring, summer, and fall. Sampling will be coordinated with standardized <br />monitoring efforts so that duplication will not occur. All backwaters <br />within each station will be sampled. <br />In addition to physical habitat quantification, the number of degree-days <br />in representative backwaters will be measured. This will be accomplished <br />by placing constant recording thermographs in 5 backwaters in each study <br />reach. <br />Video of the stations will be acquired 1 to 2 days prior to sampling and <br />computer images will be taken into the field for ground truthing and <br />identification of specific backwaters. This will be coordinated with the <br />Bureau of Reclamation so that flows do not change substantially between <br />acquiring the video and sampling. Backwaters will be seined to determine <br />whether or not squawfish are present and if so, how many. Physical and <br />biological habitat characteristics of each backwater will also be measured <br />in an attempt to distinguish habitats which are utilized from those which <br />are not. Reach characteristics, such as number or area of backwaters per <br />mile will also be identified as possible indexing factors for standardized <br />monitoring data. <br />Data will be collected over five field seasons. This is necessary because <br />of differences in the system from year to year and will also give us a <br />chance to refine the study design based on the preliminary data. After <br />sampling of traditional backwaters is finished on a trip, other possible <br />slow water nursery habitats may be sampled. Seasonal degree-day <br />accumulation will be measured in selected areas. Data collected on <br />physical and biological habitat characteristics will be analyzed for <br />possible relationships to use by squawfish. <br />Data gathered from this study will provide information on relationships <br />between relative reproductive success and annual flow regimes, and a <br />relative measure of input into downstream nursery habitats. <br />VI. Task Description (FY-1992): <br />Task 1: obtain video at each study reach, 3 times per year. <br />Task 2: Sample all backwaters in each station for squawf:ish <br />utilization and for ground truthing of video imagery. <br />Task 3: Measure physical and biological habitat characteristics of <br />backwaters in each study reach. Review and refine sampling <br />design as needed. <br />Task 4: Determine relationships between area of backwaters as measured <br />by video and a) number of young squawfish and b) number of <br />backwaters utilized by young squawfish. <br />Task 5: Determine relationships, if any, between habitats utilized by <br />young squawfish and physical and biological habitat <br />measurements (FY-4). <br />Task 6: Compare intensive sampling data with standardized monitoring <br />data to verify and/or refine standardized sampling techniques <br />(FY-4). <br />C7