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surface water and groundwater collections, samples were filtered <br />through a 0.45 micron filter, and split into subsamples, one of <br />which was acidified using nitric acid, and one of which was <br />unacidified. Water samples were kept cold until transfer to the <br />Denver Office Chemistry and Petrography Laboratory of the Bureau <br />of Reclamation. <br />The analyses were carried out under the supervision of Doug <br />Craft. Acidified samples were analyzed using inductively coupled <br />plasma spectrometry for the following metals; V, Si, Zn, Sb, Ag, <br />Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Pb, Ca, Na, <br />Mg, and K. In addition, Se (selenium) was determined using <br />graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry by Barringer <br />Laboratories in Golden, CO. Unacidified samples were analyzed <br />for HCO'3, SOZ'4, and Cl', along with alkalinity, lab conductivity, <br />lab pH, and TDS. <br />The water chemistry data are used for two purposes; (1) to <br />determine if any element occurs in concentrations that could be <br />of biological importance to razorback suckers, and (2) to help <br />identify distinct water sources feeding the wetlands. Water <br />quality standards published by the State of Utah are used in this <br />report as guidelines for elemental concentrations that exceed the <br />numeric criteria for aquatic life (State of Utah 1993). <br />Vegetation patterns were determine to allow us to analyze <br />the major aquatic habitats in the study area wetlands. Five <br />habitats had standing water and were sampled. These are: (1) <br />hardstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus) and broadleaf cattail <br />(Typha latifolia) emergent marsh; (2) submersed aquatic marsh <br />dominated by sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus); (3) alkali <br />bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus ssp. paludosus) marsh; (4) <br />riverine backwaters which were unvegetated; and (5) river channel <br />which was unvegetated. Other important habitats on site included <br />cottonwood forests, tamarisk thickets, tall whitetop thickets, <br />and rush meadows. These later habitats were not sampled for <br />invertebrates because they never had standing water during the <br />sample period and could not provide habitat for fishes, although <br />leaf litter from these stands could certainly be an important <br />component of the aquatic food chain for certain stands. For the <br />three marsh types occurring in the Escalante Ranch wetlands, <br />autochthonous organic matter for processing by invertebrates was <br />abundant. <br />Invertebrates were sampled in the water column and benthos <br />for all stations at all sample dates. A 210 µm Nitex covered <br />net, 15.2 cm in diameter, and 182 cm2 in area, with long handle <br />was carefully lowered to the bottom of the water column and <br />allowed to sit for approximately one minute. Then, the net was <br />raised vertically in one very rapid motion and all invertebrates <br />collected in the net were washed using tap water into plastic <br />collection bottles. A 5~ formalin was added to each bottle to <br />2 <br />