Selected aquatic biological investigations in the Great Salt Lake Basins, 1875-1998, National Water-Quality Assessment Program

By Elise M. Giddings and Doyle Stephens

Prepared as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment program

ABSTRACT

This report summarizes previous investigations of aquatic biological communities, habitat, and contaminants in streams and selected large lakes within the Great Salt Lake Basins study unit as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). The Great Salt Lake Basins study unit is one of 59 such units designed to characterize water quality through the examination of chemical, physical, and biological factors in surface and ground waters across the country. The data will be used to aid in the planning, collection, and analysis of biological information for the NAWQA study unit and to aid other researchers concerned with water quality of the study unit.

A total of 234 investigations conducted during 1875-1998 are summarized in this report. The studies are grouped into three major subjects: (1) aquatic communities and habitat, (2) contamination of streambed sediments and biological tissues, and (3) lakes. The location and a general description of each study is listed. The majority of the studies focus on fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Studies of algal communities, aquatic habitat, riparian wetlands, and contamination of streambed sediment or biological tissues are less common. Areas close to the major population centers of Salt Lake City, Provo, and Logan, Utah, are generally well studied, but more rural areas and much of the Bear River Basin are lacking in detailed information, except for fish populations..

This report is contained in the following file:

WRI994132.pdf (2.0 mb)

The file is readable with Adobe Acrobat Reader. The reader is available for free download from Adobe Systems Incorporated.

CONTENTS

Foreword
Abstract
Introduction
Great Salt Lake Basins
Purpose and scope
Historical background
Fish
Macroinvertebrates
Algae
Summary of investigations
Aquatic biota and habitat
Aquatic populations and community structure
Species of special concern
Aquatic habitat and riparian wetlands
Contaminants
Utah Lake – Jordan River Basin
Weber River Basin
Bear River Basin
Lakes
Utah Lake
Bear Lake
Summary
References

Send questions or comments about this report to Sue Thiros at sthiros@usgs.gov

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U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Persistent URL: http://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/wri/wri994132/ Page Contact Information: USGS Publishing Network Last modified: Thursday, September 01 2005, 05:16:21 PM

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