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-66- <br />DISCUSSION <br />The Green River will undergo major changes in the next ten years. These <br />changes will affect the entire section of the river within the confines of <br />the study area, Under present conditions, excellent trout habitat exists from <br />the town of LaBarge to the Rig Island Bridge. Bottom fauna present in-this <br />section of the river ranges from moderate to good. The Limiting factor appears <br />to be the relative absence of algal and aquatic plant growth which offer sources <br />of food and attachment. Silt conditions are high during spring run-off, per- <br />iods of April, Asay and part of June. The water velocity, however, is sufficient <br />to prevent an accumulation of silt in the riffle, food producing, areas, Silt <br />carrying waters are normally gone by the latter part of June. After this <br />time, silt is introduced only during extensive rainfall. <br />Chemical analyses, of tests conducted, give no indication that the stream <br />is suffering from a lack or overabundance of any specific chemical or compound. <br />Total dissolved solids show an expected rise at each .successive downstream <br />station. This concentration increase is due to the terrain through .which the <br />river flows, high salt content of surrounding countryside combined with soils <br />F of high drainage texture allow salts to leech from the soil quite readily. <br />This section of the river contains a limited brown trout population. <br />The population of trout is very good considering the small numbers that have <br />been planted, an average of 604 fish per surface acre of stream per year over <br />a twenty-year period, <br />The majority of this area will either be inundated by the Fontenelle Re- <br />servoir of the Seedskadee Project, or have normal stream conditions drastically <br />f changed through water manipulations connected with the irrigation phase of <br />~ the Seedskadee Project. Plans for future ~sanagement of this area should be <br />based upon anticipated conditions likely to exist after the Seekskadee Project <br />~ is completed. <br />The section of the river from the Big Island Bridge to the Wyoming-Utah <br />State Line is one of increasing turbidities. This accumulation of silt,is <br />caused by tributaries, and intermittent streams which discharge tons of silt <br />during spring run-off. Stream gradient is less through this section, allow- <br />ing large shifting beds of sand and silt to move slowly through the area. <br />An increase in water temperatures in this area, peaking at 79® F. at Green <br />River, makes this a borderline river for salr~onids. Development of aquatic <br />communities is largely restricted to those :organisms which are either highly <br />mobile, such as the Ephemeroptera or those such as the Diptera which have <br />few appendages for attachment. Algal growth and aquatic plant development <br />is very light in the area, <br />Organic pollution contributed by the town; of Green River and Rock Springs <br />is-not in sufficient quantities to create septic conditions, but coliform or- <br />ganisms are greatly increased and are beyond limits desirable for game fish <br />waters. <br />Industrial pollution by the U. P. Railroad has been greatly reduced <br />during the last ten years. Occasioxsal, accidental, spills of oils into the <br />river indicate that adequate safety devices are lacking in the disposal system. <br />