Comprehensive Water-Quality Study for the Arkansas River Basin, Colorado
Changes in land and water use associated with population growth and agricultural practices within the Arkansas River Basin are likely to affect water-quality on a local and, possibly, a basin-wide scale. To manage the limited water resources in the basin most effectively it is important to understand the processes that affect water quality within the basin and how future changes in land and water use may affect these processes.
Presently there is no basin-wide decision support system model in place to allow water managers to evaluate the affects of future changes in land and water use on water quality. This study will begin to lay the framework for a basin-wide decision support system model by summarizing existing water-quality data and identifying priority water-quality issues, gaps in existing data, and data and analytical tools needed to address priority water-quality issues.
Evaluate hydrogeologic processes including effects of stream-aquifer interaction on elevated constituent loadings in surface water, particularly for selenium and uranium and focused on the Fountain Creek Valley from Pinon, Colorado, to the confluence of Fountain Creek with the Arkansas River at Pueblo, Colorado.
Objectives
- Determine critical stream reaches where stream-aquifer interactions have a pronounced effect on water quality, and
- determine the source areas for selected constituents.
- For critical reaches, determine the dominant processes affecting selected constituents.
- develop methods and tools to quantitatively simulate the effects that changes in water uses/operations and land uses may have on water quality, and
- utilize the knowledge gained by these efforts to help resource managers identify solutions to improve water quality and minimize/mitigate potential adverse impacts that could result from changes in land- and water-use/operation.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Arkansas Water-Quality Data Program
Identifying Changes in Background Water-Quality Conditions, Arkansas River and Fountain Creek, Colorado
Arkansas River Water-Quality Data
Below are publications associated with this project.
Characterization of streamflow, water quality, and instantaneous dissolved solids, selenium, and uranium loads in selected reaches of the Arkansas River, southeastern Colorado, 2009-2010
Occurrence and distribution of dissolved solids, selenium, and uranium in groundwater and surface water in the Arkansas River Basin from the headwaters to Coolidge, Kansas, 1970-2009
Hydrogeology and quality of ground water in the upper Arkansas River basin from Buena Vista to Salida, Colorado, 2000-2003
Water-quality variations and trends in Monument and Fountain Creeks, El Paso and Pueblo counties, Colorado, water years 1976-88
Below are partners associated with this project.
Changes in land and water use associated with population growth and agricultural practices within the Arkansas River Basin are likely to affect water-quality on a local and, possibly, a basin-wide scale. To manage the limited water resources in the basin most effectively it is important to understand the processes that affect water quality within the basin and how future changes in land and water use may affect these processes.
Presently there is no basin-wide decision support system model in place to allow water managers to evaluate the affects of future changes in land and water use on water quality. This study will begin to lay the framework for a basin-wide decision support system model by summarizing existing water-quality data and identifying priority water-quality issues, gaps in existing data, and data and analytical tools needed to address priority water-quality issues.
Evaluate hydrogeologic processes including effects of stream-aquifer interaction on elevated constituent loadings in surface water, particularly for selenium and uranium and focused on the Fountain Creek Valley from Pinon, Colorado, to the confluence of Fountain Creek with the Arkansas River at Pueblo, Colorado.
Objectives
- Determine critical stream reaches where stream-aquifer interactions have a pronounced effect on water quality, and
- determine the source areas for selected constituents.
- For critical reaches, determine the dominant processes affecting selected constituents.
- develop methods and tools to quantitatively simulate the effects that changes in water uses/operations and land uses may have on water quality, and
- utilize the knowledge gained by these efforts to help resource managers identify solutions to improve water quality and minimize/mitigate potential adverse impacts that could result from changes in land- and water-use/operation.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Arkansas Water-Quality Data Program
Identifying Changes in Background Water-Quality Conditions, Arkansas River and Fountain Creek, Colorado
Arkansas River Water-Quality Data
Below are publications associated with this project.
Characterization of streamflow, water quality, and instantaneous dissolved solids, selenium, and uranium loads in selected reaches of the Arkansas River, southeastern Colorado, 2009-2010
Occurrence and distribution of dissolved solids, selenium, and uranium in groundwater and surface water in the Arkansas River Basin from the headwaters to Coolidge, Kansas, 1970-2009
Hydrogeology and quality of ground water in the upper Arkansas River basin from Buena Vista to Salida, Colorado, 2000-2003
Water-quality variations and trends in Monument and Fountain Creeks, El Paso and Pueblo counties, Colorado, water years 1976-88
Below are partners associated with this project.