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San Juan River <br />Rimier ?!ilea 1.0-(-)2.0 <br />Physical and Chemical Description <br />This section of the river, under the current operation of Glen Canyon Dam <br />is exclusively reservoir habitat. The surface area of the reservoir varies <br />considerably in direct relationship to the reservoir's elevation. Because of <br />the relatively high reservoir elevation throughout 1987, however, the surface <br />area present was large. The surface area vas not measured, but it Was esti- <br />mated the width of this area vas over 1 mile. At this elevation, there were <br />numerous small coves present that created eztensive shoreline habitat. <br />Although much of the area has been heavily silted-in, some of the coves oa both <br />the north and south side seemed to relatively silt-free. Much of the area away <br />from the river channel was relatively shallow, with bottom substrate varying <br />from sandstone, cobble or silt. The shoreline vas virtually vegetation free <br />because of the desert conditions and the dominance of bare sandstone. <br />Water quality within this area varies according to the amount of floe from <br />the San Juan River. During higher flow, in the spring, the river extends its <br />influence on the reservoir by increasing turbidity and decreasing over-all <br />valet quality. Extensive silt bars are evidence of the extreme amount of sedi- <br />ment deposited by the river_ Water temperatures were not recorded; however, <br />temperatures probably vary from the 40's during the winter to the low 80's in <br />the summer. <br />16 <br />