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<br />sediment is carried on the rising limb of the annual snowmelt hydro graph than on the falling <br /> <br />limb. Thus, some low flows might not be necessary to maintain an equilibrium sediment mass <br /> <br />balance wherein the entire load delivered to the stream is transported downstream. A rule of <br /> <br />thumb used elsewhere has been to claim all flows greater than the discharge above which 70% of <br /> <br />the long-term annual load is transported. At the study site, that flow was about 40 m3/s. We <br /> <br />assumed that sediment normally transported by lower discharges could be transported by flows <br /> <br />greater than 40 m3/s because of the supply-limited nature of the stream. <br /> <br />Flows higher than 40 m3 Is were capable of entraining gravel exposed on bars in the study <br /> <br />reach. Entrainment occurred at many bars near bankfull discharge of 105 m3/s (3,700 ft3/s), <br /> <br />which has a recurrence interval of about 3 years on the partial duration series for the period <br /> <br />following completion of Taylor Draw Dam (1984-97). In this c.ase, bankfull discharge was much <br /> <br />greater than the effective discharge for suspended load, which we estimated to be between 48 and <br />82 m3/s (1,000 - 2,900 ft3/s). <br /> <br />Our study plan precluded determination of the effective discharge for bedload, but this <br /> <br />discharge was likely larger than that for suspended load. Thehigh volume of suspended load, <br /> <br />however, and the larger proportion of the bed covered by fine sediment suggested that a habitat <br /> <br />maintenance flow claim be based on ensuring that all suspendable sediment be transported <br /> <br />through the study reach. <br /> <br />The White River underwent an annual cycle of scour and fill that changed the elevation of . <br /> <br />the bed by as much as 1 meter. The range of scour and fill defined the active layer ofthe bed that <br /> <br />can be mobilized during flooding. These flows thus had the ability to reshape instream habitats. <br /> <br />The changes in bed elevation during the spring flood suggested that much of the sediment <br /> <br />5 <br />