5 



for reduced trout abundance (Wells 1977). Still other studies have found 

 trout populations to be limited by quality of physical habitat (Boussu 

 1954, Kalleberg 1958, Lewis 1969, and Newman 1956). 



Our study was intended to evaluate habitat quality by comparing 

 measurements of various habitat attributes between urbanized and non-urbanized 

 sections of stream and analysing them for correlation with abundance of 

 trout. While it is almost impossible to locate pristine, unaltered streams 

 in and near urban areas, one can probably make adequate analyses by comparing 

 altered and "less altered" parts of streams in and near towns within generally 

 urbanized areas. 



In urban creeks of the Bozeman area in Montana, stream problems have been 

 studied from water quality/pollutional standpoints (Anderson 1977; Blue 

 Ribbons of the Big Sky Country APO 1979). The emphases of these studies 

 were on sediment pollution and on pollutants hazardous to human health. 

 The urban reaches of streams were not analysed with respect to physical 

 suitability as habitat for fish. 



The hypotheses selected for this study were (1) that key habitat 

 characteristics are less favorable to trout in altered than in less-altered 

 parts of urban-area streams and that (2) trout are less abundant in the 

 more altered parts of urban-area streams. 



DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREAS 

 Thirty channel reaches (stations) totalling 3,772 meters of stream were 

 analysed for trout habitat attributes and trout abundance in four creeks that 

 have undergone varying degrees of artificial alteration in the course of urban- 

 ization (Table 1). Three of the streams flow through the city of Bozeman (Fig. 1) 



