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The conflict over water allocation will intensify in the future. It is a certainty that <br />established instream flows will be - challenged, thus agencies must be prepared to <br />justify the quantity of water set aside for fish. White, working with MTFWP and a <br />PhD student, has recently corripleted a study testing the validity of the underlying <br />assumptions of the wetted perimeter method. Results of this difficult study are <br />important to the long -term protection of flows for trout in Montana and are an <br />important contribution to our understanding of trout feeding ecology and the <br />dynamics and behavior of aquatic invertebrate communities in response to <br />environmental factors. [19, 61, 62, MT Chapter AFS, (Best Student Paper <br />Award) and. Great Plains Fisheries Workers Assoc.] <br />In early 1990, a study was initiated to examine the application of the wetted <br />perimeter method to prairie streams with warm water fish communities. It soon <br />became apparent that this method was not appropriate for prairie streams due to <br />the marked difference in channel structure and the focus of the research was <br />changed to examining fish communities in these streams. (2 MS theses and <br />presentations at MT Chapter AFS). <br />Winter Habitat Results of the small stream validation study led to the hypothesis <br />that winter habitat limits trout populations in small streams. Essentially no winter <br />habitat work had been reported. White designed studies to examine winter habitat <br />requirements of trout and to relate these to reduced winter flows associated with <br />small hydropower development. We used radio telemetry to identify winter habitat <br />use by adult rainbow trout. Results were used by MTFWP in determining flow <br />reservations associated with small hydropower development where water diversion <br />occurs during winter low flow periods. (MS thesis and MT Chapter AFS) <br />Hydroelectric Development Proposals to increase generating capacity of many <br />existing dams and to change from a base -flow to a hydroelectric power peaking <br />operation have raised important questions regarding the potential impact to <br />fisheries. Since no information was available on effects of fluctuating flows on <br />resident trout populations in large rivers and simulated flows were not available, <br />White designed a study to examine the site - specific problems at a Missouri River <br />dam and developed an approach to this type of research which incorporates IF1M. <br />Predicted negative impacts of the project.resulted in abandonment of the proposal. <br />Results were presented in a report ; to., Montana Power Company (31) in two <br />graduate theses and at the Montana Chapter and the 115th Annual Meeting AFS. <br />25 <br />