Table 24. Number of larval sauger collected and estimated rate of 

 drift in the Tongue River near its mouth, 1979 and 1980. 



upstream areas in the lower Tongue River as flows continued to 

 declines all the way down to 94 cfs. 



Obviously the minimum flow necessary to provide for sustained 

 sauger reproduction is greater than 300 cfs, perhaps 400 cfs or 

 greater, Elser and McFarland (1977) recommended a discharge of 525 

 cfs (40 percentile flow) which may be close to the optimum flow. 

 Mean April discharge from 1976 to 1979 ranged from 419 to 648 cfs. 



The flow regime in the Powder River is similar to the Tongue 

 River in which sauger spawn during a period of generally moderate. 



98 



