Quantitative Relations of Physical Habitat Features to Channel Slope and Discharge in Unaltered Mountain Streams

Two habitat gradients—channel slope and stream size—are important determinants of physical habitat features among streams in the central Rocky Mountains. Among 48 stream reaches in 15 streams in southeastern Wyoming, 35 habitat features were assessed for their relation to channel slope and stream size. Simple-regression analysis identified 21 habitat features significantly related to channel slope and 12 related to stream size. Multiple-regression analysis demonstrated that both channel slope and stream size significantly accounted for variation in 15 habitat features. Among the 35 habitat variables, 32 were significantly related to channel slope or stream size.