conifer forest at intermediate elevations, and mixed grassland at 

 lower elevations (USDA 1976) . 



Periphyton samples were collected at one site each on Mill 

 Creek and Pine Creek in late July 2000 (Map 1, Table 1) . Both 

 sites are located at an elevation of about 5,500 feet. Samples 

 were collected at two sites on Tom Miner Creek in mid August 2000 

 (Map 2, Table 1) . The elevation of both sampling sites on Tom 

 Miner Creek is about 5,000 feet. 



Mill Creek, Pine Creek, and Tom Miner Creek are all 

 classified B-1 in the Montana Surface Water Quality Standards. 



METHODS 



Periphyton samples were collected by Patrick Newby of the 

 MDEQ Monitoring and Data Management Bureau following standard 

 operating procedures of the MDEQ Planning, Prevention, and 

 Assistance Division. 



Using appropriate tools, microalgae were scraped, brushed, 

 or sucked from natural substrates in proportion to the rank of 

 those substrates at the study site. Macroalgae were picked by 

 hand in proportion to their abundance at the site. All 

 collections of microalgae and macroalgae were pooled into a 

 common container and preserved with Lugol's solution. 



The samples were examined to estimate the relative abundance 

 and rank by biovolume of diatoms and genera of soft (non-diatom) 

 algae according to the method described in Bahls (1993) . Soft 

 algae were identified using Dillard (1999), Prescott (1978), 

 Smith (1950) , and Whit ford and Schumacher (1984) . These books 

 also served as references on the ecology of the soft algae, along 

 with Palmer (1977) . 



