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Stations : 



The following eleven sampling stations were selected as being 

 longitudinally representative of the lower Yellowstone River and 

 tributaries : 



Yellowstone River 



Tributaries 



1. Custer 



2. Bighorn River 



Myers 

 Forsyth 



9. 

 10. 

 11. 



Miles City 



(above (below?) Tongue R. ) 



Terry 



Glendive (optional) 



Sidney (optional) 



Rosebud Creek 

 (optional) 



Tongue River 

 Powder River 



Three stations, Rosebud Creek and the Glendive and Sidney stations, 

 are optional and may be deleted for logistic reasons. Likewise, stations 

 may be omitted or added depending on Fish and Game interests and purposes, 

 Both the periphyton and plankton communities should be sampled, however 

 slack water in the tributaries at certain times of the year may preclude 

 collecting a plankton sample. 



Schedule : 



Monthly samples over the course of a year should be sufficient for 

 survey purposes and for accomplishing the primary objective. 



Results; 



Analysis of plankton and periphyton samples from the Yellowstone 

 and tributaries will yield the following types of results: 



1. Relative composition of the microplankton in terms of planktonic 

 algae, sessile algae, microinvertebrates, and detritus. 



2. Species composition of the periphyton community. 



3. Seasonal and longitudinal trends in the relative abundance of 

 periphyton species and groups interpreted as indicators of water 

 quality and habitat conditions. 



4. Contribution of tributary streams to the microflora of the Yellow- 

 stone River. 



5. Diversity of the Yellowstone River periphyton community as influenced 

 by (a) tributary streams, (b) human-related activities and (c) 

 seasonal climatic fluctuations. 



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