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The river in this stratum was slow-moving and meandered through low, <br />rolling hills and some areas of alluvium. Side channels, riffles, and <br />backwaters were relatively numerous (Figure 6). Substrate was primarily <br />sand and gravel. Average stream gradient for t?e entire stratum was 4.4 <br />ft/mi. Both average conductivity (micromhos/cm ) and average turbidity <br />increased from runoff to postrunoff. <br />Stratum 7 from RM 91.0 (km 145.6) to RM 88.7 (km 142), was very <br />short, and confined to a 2.3 mi (3.6 km) section of steep walled Juniper <br />Canyon. A crude man-made diversion dam at RM 90.5 (km 144.8), midway in <br />the canyon, created a slow-moving pool habitat upstream and an area of <br />boulders and rapids at and below the diversion structure. Average <br />gradient in the entire stratum was 5.2 ft/mi, but gradient was much less <br />in the upper 0.5 mi of the canyon and greater in a short section at the <br />diversion dam. Substrate was primarily boulder/bedrock, with small <br />areas of sand/gravel exposed at the upper end of the stratum and during <br />low flows. Average and maximum depths during both runoff (8,3 f t; 18 <br />ft) and postrunoff (5.0 ft; 12 ft) were the greatest of any Yampa strata. <br />Average turbidity decreased slightly from runoff to prerunoff. Since <br />this stratum was shorter (2.3 mi; 3.7 km) than the standardized sampling <br />stations (2.5 mi; 4 km), no attempt was made to subdivide it. As much <br />of the stratum as possible was sampled and this stratum was treated as_,, <br />an index station. <br />Stratum 6 extended from the lower end of Juniper Canyon, RM 88.7 <br />(km 142), to the upper end of Cross Mountain Canyon, RM 58.8 (km 94). - <br />The river in this stratum meanders through a wide alluvial plain near <br />the town of Maybell, Colorado. Average depth of 6.2 ft during runoff <br />decreased to 2.5 ft during postrunoff. Average stream gradient was only <br />3.4 ft/mi. The substrate types encountered were predominantly sand/silt <br />with some riffle areas of rubble/cobble. Six of the eight habitat types <br />were present in this stratum. Type 1 backwaters, eddies,.riffles, and <br />side channels were the most common. A physical habitat simulation <br />(PHABSIM) site was established in this reach at RM 72 (km 118) (Appen-- <br />dix A). <br />Stratum 5, Cross Mountain Canyon, extended from RM 58.V(km 94) to <br />RM 55.6 (km 89). The Yampa River drops an average of 55 ft/mi and the <br />substrate is almost entirely boulder/bedrock. Except for a large, deep <br />pool at each end of the stratum, the river is a continuous series of <br />swift rapids, falls, and chutes. Access to this stratum was only avail- <br />able by foot. Since the primary responsibility for sampling was assumed <br />by the CDOW, FWS sampling was only designed to supplement CROW data. <br />This stratum was not sampled in rotation with other strata. <br />Stratum 4, Lilly Park, from RM 55.6 (km 89) to the mouth of the <br />Little Snake River at RM 51.0 (km 81.6), consisted mainly of boulder/ <br />cobble/gravel substrate washed out from Cross Mountain Canyon. Riffles, <br />eddies, and side channels were relatively common. At RM 53.0 (km 84.8) <br />a large deep pool was present where Colorado squawfish were previously <br />collected by Seethaler (1978). Average gradient in this stratum was 8.0 <br />ft/mi and average depth was 5,9 ft during runoff and 3.2 ft during <br />postrunoff. This stratum was generally too shallow to be consistently <br />24