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<br />mBan daily flows for a typical snowmelt-dominated <br />system in arid and semi-ar1d western North America. <br /> <br />For the purposes of this paper, the hydrograph <br />(Figure 1) is broken into five segments: 1) the <br />Risinq Limb: II) the Crest or Peak: III) the Receding <br />Limb: IV) a period of Summer Flow which is often <br />punctuated by intense, but brief, high flows: and V) <br />a period of winter Flow often defined as base flow or <br />low flow. This discussion focuses on all aspects of <br />a typical stream hydrograph and does not attempt to <br />address the obvious influence of stream type, <br />geomorphic setting, or system-specific responses on <br />riparian vegetation. <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />IV <br /> <br />V <br /> <br />t1l <br />e" <br />~ <br />U <br />tIl <br />H <br />o <br /> <br />Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Ncv Dec Jan Feb <br /> <br />TIME <br /> <br />Figure 1. Annual hydrograph of a typical <br />snowmelt-dominated system. <br /> <br />Rising Limb (1) <br /> <br />The rising limb of a hydrograph is predominantly <br />influenced by the character of the storm or snowmelt <br />producing the rise (Linsley et al. 1986). In a river <br />system governed by snowmelt, this period of <br />increasing streamflow usually begins in m1d- to late <br />March and continues into May~ This segment of the <br />hydrograph plays an insignificant role in the <br />successful regeneration of cottonwood and willow <br />species. <br /> <br />241 <br />