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<br />September when measurements in the Yampa River ceased. Daily water <br />temperatures peaked at 21 Oc in the Little Snake River on July 10 and at 23 Oc in <br />the Yampa River on September 22; although highest hourly temperature in the Little <br />Snake River was 26 Oc on July 28 and in the Yampa River was 25 Oc on <br />September 3. Generally the Little Snake River warmed earlier, in June and July, <br />and the Yampa River warmed later, in August and September (Figure 3). <br /> <br />Water temperature differences between the two rivers were best revealed in <br />hourly measurements. Although both rivers experienced a similar diel cycle that <br />ranged from daily low temperature just before sunrise to a daily high temperature <br />by mid-afternoon, the Little Snake River experienced a greater range of diel <br />temperatures than the Yampa River. In June the average range of daily fluctuation <br />was 2.4 Oc (s = 0.5684) in the Little Snake River and 1.8 Oc (s = 0.5630) in th-e <br />Yampa River. In July mean daily fluctuation ranged 5.4 Oc (s = 2.0328) in the Little <br />Snake River and 2.7 Oc (s=1.5719) in the Yampa River. The difference between <br />the two rivers was most noticeable in August when the range of daily fluctuation <br />averaged 9.1 Oc (s = 3.4 760) in the Little Snake River and 3.2 Oc (s = 1 .6242) in <br />the Yampa River (Figures 4 and 5). Maximum single day fluctuation was 15.5 Oc <br />on August 19 in the Little Snake River and 11.5 Oc on August 1 in the Yampa <br />River. <br /> <br />The two rivers also had differences in maximum and minimum temperatures <br />on any given day. Maximum temperatures in the Little Snake River exceeded <br />maximum temperatures in the Yampa River on a daily basis from mid-May through <br />mid-August (Figures 4 and 5). During June and the first half of July, minimum <br />temperatures in the Little Snake River were usually warmer than minimum Yampa <br />River temperatures and on several days, minimum Little Snake River temperatures <br />even exceeded maximum Yampa River temperatures. After July 19, minimum <br /> <br />10 <br />