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• Humpback Chub Adults at Black Rocks <br />WUA at Black Rocks varied by a factor of less than 2 throughout <br />the entire flow range (Figure 12). The Black Rocks hydraulic simulation <br />model was only run to a low flow of 2000 cfs (a very low recurrence flow <br />at the Colorado-Utah State line USGS gage). Even at this flow the Black <br />Rocks reach offered more than 40,000 ft2 of WUA for every 1000 linear <br />feet of stream, which is nearly half the total surface area of the <br />reach. At flows between 8,000 and 15,000 cfs, over 60,000 ft2 of WUA <br />was available. Clearly, based on the rather broad habitat suitability <br />curves for depth and velocity and the fact that the substrates repre- <br />sented in the curves are essentially the only ones available at the Black <br />Rocks reach, flow changes are not likely to have a major effect upon <br />adult humpback chub WUA at Black Rocks. <br />Analysis of Flow Time Series <br />I— The Colorado and Green Rivers have been influenced quite differently <br />by water developments. The present vs. natural comparisons (using <br />percent exceedence plots) show a proportional reduction in the occurrence <br />of all flow levels on the Colorado river (Figure 13). In contrast, the <br />Green River has experienced a similar reduction in flow, with proportion- <br />ally greater losses in the high flow range (Figure 14). <br />• The timing of depletions on the Colorado River appears to have <br />changed slightly with present level peak flows occurring more often in <br />May than in June, an event expected with major reservoir storage taking <br />place on the runoff peak (Figure 13). Peak flow on the Green River <br />simulation appears to have been shifted from June to July (Figure 14) <br />during about half the simulated years. These timing shifts may simply be <br />j the result of simulation techniques in the CRSS model, but could in <br />actual occurrence cause significant impacts upon reproductive life <br />history of the endangered fishes. <br />WUA times series for YOY squawfish were produced at the Ouray, <br />Mineral Bottom, and Potash sites because these habitats had been identi- <br />fied as good rearing locations. The results from the Ouray and Potash <br />reaches were probably more reliable than those from Mineral Bottom <br />because of the latter"s very low and narrow range of suitable discharges. <br />The effects of severe water depletion upon YOY habitat at the Ouray <br />reach were variable among months from May through September (Figure 15). <br />May, June, and July YOY habitat appears to have been profoundly improved <br />by reduction in flow during those months. August and September results, <br />however, indicate habitat depletions due to flow reductions in the lower <br />range of suitable flows. During August, the depletions caused little <br />change in physical habitat, but during September, reductions were typi- <br />cally so severe that the pre-development regime provided almost 50 <br />percent more habitat at the 50th percentile exceedence levels and 300 <br />• percent more at the 80th percentile level. While these results were <br />based on simulated data, they did clearly demonstrate that, even for <br />immature fish which preferred slow, shallow water, flow levels must <br />be maintained within a prescribed range if suitable habitat is to be <br />provided. <br />19