9504

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9504
• Author: Cooper, D. J. and C. Severn.
• Title: Ecological Characteristics of Wetlands at the Wetland Clough, Moab, Utah.
• USFW Year: 1994.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

Maximum flows for-May and June for the period of record are l
shown in Figure 11.-This figure shows the rarity of flows,
greater than 40,000 cfs'since 1959, and how common they were
prior to-that date.- Overbank flows occurred on the average once
every other year historically, yet are now rare events
precipitated only by extreme mountain snowpacks. It also.
illustrates-that flows such as occurred-in 1993 were a regular-.
.:event in the early time period.
Colorado River of Cisco
80
70
~ 60
[n
Li
U
~ 50
N
O C
J ~ 40
l.~ ~
. ~ ~
~_ 3U
X
Q 20
~ ~'
LO
0
1, „ ~yta iy~a 19aa 1954 1964 1974 1984" 1994
191,9 1929 1439 1949 1959 1969. 1.979 1989
~ =-~--MAY ~ -JUNE
Figure 11. 'Maximum flows for"May-and June during-the period of
record.
During-high Colorado River .flows the river extends from
:north to"south across the entire study area connecting the.
wetlands with the whole river system.. However, once the river
water retreats, two completely independent hydrologic systems
occur; one feeding the Colorado River and a ground and surface
--water system feeding the Moab wetlands.-.Due to changes Colorado
" River flood frequency since 1959,-the mixing of these waters
rarely occurs. This is important in trying to understand how
fishes could interact between these two hydrologically distinct
21