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and South Fork of the White River (fig, 1), the principal headwater tributaries. Additional sediment and water- quality sampling was done for a range of streamflow during water years 1987-88. Six streamflow-gaging stations were selected as primary sampling sites (fig. 1 and table 1) on the basis of location and availability of data. To facilitate data comparisons on the main stem of the White River, a secondary data site (site 3A) was established for data summaries at the confluence of the North Fork (site 1) and South Fork (site 2) (fig. 1 and table 1). All data for streamflow and suspended-sediment and dissolved-sol- ids loads reported for site 3A were calculated as the combined daily or annu.al values of sites 1 and 2. In addition, hydrologic records were obtained at other streamflow-gaging stations (hereinafter referred to as secondary data sites or stations). Streamflow records [1910 to present (1988)] at station 09304500, about 2.5 mi east of Meeker, were used to compare stream- flow during water years 1975-88 with long-term streamflow in the White River. Streamflow and water- quality records at stations 09306222 and 09306255 in Piceance Basin and at the discontinued station 09306300, about 5 mi east of Rangely (fig. 1 and table 1), also were used to verify or support data for sites 5 and 6. Available hydrologic data for water years 1975- 88 were retrieved from the U.S. Geological Survey WATSTORE (Hutchison, 1975) data base into mini- computers in Denver, Colo. The retrieved data were Table 1. Site Information [mi2, square miles; -~. not available] transferred to microcomputers where the data were com- piled and analyzed by using data-base management and spreadsheet software. Most data used in this report also were published in the annual reports of the U.S. Geolog- ical Survey (1976-89). Study objectives necessitated periodic collection of sediment and water-quality data at sites 1-6 during water years 1987-88 to enhance the data base. About 12 samples per year for suspended sediment and 4 sam- ples per year for water-quality analyses were collected at each site to define sediment and water-quality character- istics for a range of streamflow. In addition, bedload was measured seven times at sites 1-4 during water years 1987-88 to supplement the bedload data base (water years 1984-88) for site 6, Depth-integrated techniques were used to collect suspended-sediment samples from equal stream-width increments, and a Helley-Smith sam- pler was used to collect bedload samples, Sediment- collection techniques and laboratory analyses used in this study are summarized in Guy (1969), Guy and Norman (1970), and Emmett (1980), Water-quality measurements of temperature, spe- cific conductance, pH, and dissolved oxygen were made onsite. Water samples were analyzed at the U.S, Geolog- ical Survey Central Laboratory in Denver, Colo., for major ions, nutrients, and trace constituents. All samples for laboratory analyses were collected, preserved, and analyzed in accordance with accepted procedures of the U.S. Geological Survey (Brown and others, 1970; Goer- litz and Brown, 1972; Fishman and Friedman, 1989). Site number U.S, Geological Drainage "_ Irom Ilgurl 1 Survey atatlon Name (m12) number PRIMARY SAMPLING SITES I 09303000 North Fork White River at Buford 260 2 09304000 South Fork White River at Buford 177 3 09304200 White River above Coal Creek near Meeker 648 4 09304800 White River below Meeker 1,024 5 09306224 White River above Crooked Wash near White River City 1,821 6 09306290 White River below Boise Creek near Rangely 2,530 SECONDARY DATA SITES 3A White River at confluence of North Fork and South Fork 437 09304500 White River near Meeker 755 09306222 Piceance Creek at White River 652 09306255 Yellow Creek near White River 262 09306300 White River above Rangely (discontinued) 2,773 4 Sadlment Tranlport and Water-Quality Characteristics Ind Loads, White Rlvlr, Northwestern Colorldo, Wlter Yea.. 1975-88