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<br />provide spawning habitat at runoff and maintain refugia pools at low discharge. An <br />adult Colorado pikeminnow was captured in this reach in 1990 (Marsh et al. <br />1991) . <br /> <br />Reach IV This reach extends from about RK 80 to RK 15. Elevation changes <br />about 1 m/km from 1798 to 1731 m in this unconfined sand-bed reach that is <br />often very wide (250 m). There is a lack of diverse habitat except for some sharp <br />bends and islands that create eddies or backwaters at high runoff flows. <br />Substrate is predominately sand that is contributed by several ephemeral washes <br />which supply the bulk of fine sediments carried by the Little Snake River. At <br />extremely low discharge, interstitial flow provides little suitable fish habitat and <br />creates a barrier to large fish movement. Scour holes at higher flows become <br />isolated pools at low flows that provide refugia for mostly smaller-sized fish. <br /> <br />Reach III This reach extends from RK 15 to 9.5. Elevation is 1731 m. At <br />RK 15 the channel narrows at a hydrologic control that is the location of Moffat <br />County Road 10 bridge and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) "Little Snake River <br />near Lily, Colorado Gage" # 09260000 (Lily Gage). The river quickly enters a <br />narrow bedrock canyon about one kilometer long and continues through a less <br />confined canyon reach about 4.5 km. Higher gradient (3 m/km) in this reach and <br />boulder debris from canyon walls and adjacent washes create fast and deep eddy <br />habitats at higher discharge. These eddies become pools at extremely low <br />discharge and provide refugia for fish. Colorado pikeminnow and humpback chub <br />adults were captured in this reach in 1988 and 1995 (Wick et al. 1991; Hawkins <br />et al. 2001). <br /> <br />6 <br />