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<br />The average flow of a stream (or any given portion or percent of the <br /> <br />average flow) is a composite manifestation of the size of the drainage <br /> <br /> <br />area, geomorphology, climate, vegetation, and land use. These relation- <br /> <br />ships have also been evaluated and reported by other biologists and <br />hydrologists. 8, 13, 15, 16, 18, 29, 31 <br /> <br />Use of the Montana Method has produced over 100 separate streamflow <br /> <br />recommendations to protect fish, wildlife, and environmental resources <br /> <br />in more than 70 reports issued by the FWS.20 The recommendations were <br /> <br />made with the aid of district fishery biologists from 11 different <br /> <br />states, endorsed by both the Directors of their state Fish and Game <br /> <br />Departments and the Director of the FWS and generally accepted by <br /> <br />various construction agencies. This work occurred on at least 30 <br /> <br />warmwater streams and 70 coldwater streams. <br /> <br />Many of our recommendations were not adopted, since providing stream- <br /> <br />flow for fish, wildlife, and environmental preservation or enhancement <br /> <br />is not a legal beneficial use of water in most of the country, <br /> <br />especially the 17 western states.9 Administrators managing water <br /> <br />development projects have generally been willing to regulate flow <br /> <br /> <br />regimens for instream flow studies and provide minimum flows necessary <br /> <br /> <br />to protect these resources when there is plenty of water. <br /> <br />these resources are the first to suffer when water is short. <br /> <br />However, <br />6, 9, <br /> <br />24, 25, 27 <br /> <br />In 1970, the project managers of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. <br /> <br />Corps of Engineers, and the Montana Power Company were requested to <br /> <br />identify the minimum flows that they recognized solely for the <br /> <br />10 <br />