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of benthic invertebrates. Pennak (1975) described conditions in the vicinity <br />of Steamboat Springs as "badly degraded" and the stream fauna as "depauperate." <br />Stream substrates were reported covered with a thick layer of detritus which <br />provided poor habitat for benthic insects. <br />Wentz and Steele (1976) compiled gage data for-the Yampa and Little <br />Snake Rivers; seasonal temperature, suspended sediment, discharge, conductance <br />vs. cation concentration and water-quality data were also presented. Bauer, <br />Steele and Anderson (1978) presented a detailed water-quality analysis and <br />plotted Eddy's (1975) and Ames' (1977) diversity indices against pollutant <br />concentrations and distance from the mouth of the Yampa River, Steele, Wentz <br />and Warner (1978) reported on a float-trip through Dinosaur National Monument <br />in August 1976. Temperatures, conductance, bottom sediment quality, and some <br />habitat (pooi:riffle) assessment were presented. <br />Endangered species reports mentioned in our review of White River <br />literature are also pertinent to the status of such species in the Yampa River. <br />Papers by Behnke(i973d) and Vanicek and Kramer (T969) should be added to <br />those previously cited. <br />Table 5 contains a summary of fishes collected from the Yampa <br />River in major papers which have been cited. As was the case with the White <br />River data, benthic invertebrate and water-quality data were considered too <br />complex to summarize in this manner. <br />DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREAS <br />The Yampa River is a major northwestern Co1ordo waterway (average <br />annual discharge = 1.2 million acre feet) which arises in the National Forest <br />west of Yampa, Colorado, and flows east, north and then west 17.5 km before its <br />confluence with the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument. The White River <br />23 <br />