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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS <br />Radiotelemetry of stream fishes is a relatively new methodology that <br />offers great promise for microhabitat studies, especially in high turbidity <br />rivers where visual observations are impossible. Radiotracking in high <br />conductivity waters of 400 umho or more is marginally successful, but fishery <br />workers can improve radio reception by understanding radio wave propanation in <br />water and by using the most suitable equipment. Radiotracking is more <br />successful in shallow rivers, and species like suckers, which select deeper <br />habitats, are harder to track. <br />A field evaluation of different radiotransmitters indicated that the <br />performance of fish mt;dules was the same for two different manufacturers and <br />for mercury- and lithium-powered radios. Success of radiotracking was <br />evaluated relative to tracking duration and was similar for three different <br />studies in the Green River basin. Growth rates of recaptured fish suggested <br />that surgically implanted radios should have little effect on the behavior of <br />the fish, and investigators should evaluate growth rates for this purpose. <br />Fish location and habitat use was not difficult to obtain with radio- <br />telemetry, and the results of this study suggested that habitat data obtained <br />by radiotelemetry were nonbiased and representative. Statistical testing <br />between habitats recorded f r fish captured electrofishing and for habitats <br />measured for radiotelemetered fish indicated the two resultant datasets were <br />significantly different, with respect to habitats, substrates, and depths. It <br />is assumed that these results are due to bias inherent in electrofishing data. <br />Because of the large number of contacts that can be made by radiotracking <br />fish, enough data points can be obtained to partition habitat use according to <br />fish behavior, especially by season or habitat heterogeneity. Additional <br />habitat me surements can be made and used to validate the application of <br />physical habitat modelling methodology. This study indicates that a proper <br />interpretation of fish habitat utilization in heterogeneous habitats may <br />require more hydrologic information than is generally collected in physical <br />habitat studies. <br />ACKNOWLEDGMENTS <br />This paper presents the results of research supported by the Fish and <br />k'ildlife Service and Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior. <br />Many F'sh and Wildlife Service employees aided in data collection and analysis. <br />Carl L. Armour and Ken D. Bovee encouraged the development of this paper and <br />an earlier one on radiotelemetry. Thanks are given to K.M. Paulin for aiding <br />in data analysis, and to L.A. Trinca and C.A. Karp for their suggestions to <br />the draft manuscript. <br />154 <br />