To find the rate of change in the number of gallons in the wading pool over the time period between the two points, you can use the formula for the slope of a line, which is:
\[ \text{slope} = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]
Given the points \((x_1, y_1) = (1, 160)\) and \((x_2, y_2) = (3, 80)\), you can substitute the values into the formula:
\[ \text{slope} = \frac{80 - 160}{3 - 1} = \frac{-80}{2} = -40 \]
So, the rate of change in the number of gallons in the pool after each hour has passed is:
\[ \boxed{-40 \text{ gal./hr.}} \]