Southwest Study Area Water-Quality Data Completed
In southwest Colorado, drought, wildfires, mining activities, agriculture, and population growth have altered the landscape from its natural condition. These changes have potentially degraded the water-quality of streams, rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater by introducing or increasing levels of metals, nutrients, synthetic organic chemicals, and sediment.
Recognizing the need to understand how these changes affect the receiving waters, local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies expressed a desire for a compilation and analysis of existing water-resources information.
A comprehensive, watershed-scale, study was conducted as a result, to update information pertaining to surface-water quality, streamflow, groundwater quality, and water-table elevations in southwest Colorado. This common data repository provides an invaluable contribution to the planning, monitoring, conservation, and management of water resources in southwest Colorado.
OBJECTIVES:
- To compile and characterize existing water-resources data for the Dolores River and San Juan River watersheds.
- To develop a relational database containing information on water-quality and Geographic Information System (GIS) features/coverages.
- To create a Web-based interface to the relational database to streamline sharing of data.
- To identify gaps in the available data and design a water-quality sampling network to fill these gaps.
APPROACH:
Historic surface-water and groundwater quality data, instantaneous streamflow data associated with a water-quality sample, and water-table elevations that are available in electronic form were compiled and screened for the Dolores River and San Juan River watersheds.
- The historic water-quality data and published reports for the Dolores River and San Juan River watersheds will be used to develop an interpretive retrospective analysis. The retrospective analysis will include: a description of the spatial and temporal distribution of physical and chemical data,
- a statistical summary of the data including range, maximum, minimum and mean values,
- a comparison of the historic data to State and Federal water-quality standards,
- an analysis of trends at sites where the length of record is sufficient, and (5) an evaluation of the environmental and cultural factors, such as geology and land use, that affect water quality within the limits of the available data.
Below are other science projects associated with the Colorado Water-Quality Data Repository.
Upper Yampa Watershed Water-Quality Data
Eagle River Water-Quality Data
Piceance Basin Water-Quality Data
Upper Gunnison River Water-Quality Data
Roaring Fork Watershed Water-Quality Data
Arkansas River Water-Quality Data
Blue River Water-Quality Data
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Net Acid Production, Acid Neutralizing Capacity, and Associated Mineralogical and Geochemical Characteristics of Animas River Watershed Igneous Rocks Near Silverton, Colorado
Water-Quality Data Collected from Vallecito Reservoir, Its Inflows and Outflow, Southwestern Colorado, 1999-2002
Environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River watershed, southwestern Colorado
Integrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River Watershed, San Juan County, Colorado
Hydrostratigraphic Framework of the Raton, Vermejo, and Trinidad Aquifers in the Raton Basin, Las Animas County, Colorado
Preliminary Assessment of Landslides Along the Florida River Downstream from Lemon Reservoir, La Plata County, Colorado
Quantification and simulation of metal loading to the Upper Animas River, Eureka to Silverton, San Juan County, Colorado, September 1997 and August 1998
Using water-quality profiles to characterize seasonal water quality and loading in the upper Animas River basin, southwestern Colorado
Reconnaissance-level application of physical habitat simulation in the evaluation of physical habitat limits in the Animas Basin, Colorado
Effect of the Paradox Valley Unit on the dissolved-solids load of the Dolores River near Bedrock, Colorado, 1988-2001
Water quality and aquatic toxicity data of 2002 spring thaw conditions in the upper Animas River watershed, Silverton, Colorado
Evaluation of Metal Toxicity in Streams Affected by Abandoned Mine Lands, Upper Animas River Watershed, Colorado
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
In southwest Colorado, drought, wildfires, mining activities, agriculture, and population growth have altered the landscape from its natural condition. These changes have potentially degraded the water-quality of streams, rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater by introducing or increasing levels of metals, nutrients, synthetic organic chemicals, and sediment.
Recognizing the need to understand how these changes affect the receiving waters, local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies expressed a desire for a compilation and analysis of existing water-resources information.
A comprehensive, watershed-scale, study was conducted as a result, to update information pertaining to surface-water quality, streamflow, groundwater quality, and water-table elevations in southwest Colorado. This common data repository provides an invaluable contribution to the planning, monitoring, conservation, and management of water resources in southwest Colorado.
OBJECTIVES:
- To compile and characterize existing water-resources data for the Dolores River and San Juan River watersheds.
- To develop a relational database containing information on water-quality and Geographic Information System (GIS) features/coverages.
- To create a Web-based interface to the relational database to streamline sharing of data.
- To identify gaps in the available data and design a water-quality sampling network to fill these gaps.
APPROACH:
Historic surface-water and groundwater quality data, instantaneous streamflow data associated with a water-quality sample, and water-table elevations that are available in electronic form were compiled and screened for the Dolores River and San Juan River watersheds.
- The historic water-quality data and published reports for the Dolores River and San Juan River watersheds will be used to develop an interpretive retrospective analysis. The retrospective analysis will include: a description of the spatial and temporal distribution of physical and chemical data,
- a statistical summary of the data including range, maximum, minimum and mean values,
- a comparison of the historic data to State and Federal water-quality standards,
- an analysis of trends at sites where the length of record is sufficient, and (5) an evaluation of the environmental and cultural factors, such as geology and land use, that affect water quality within the limits of the available data.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with the Colorado Water-Quality Data Repository.
Upper Yampa Watershed Water-Quality Data
The Upper Yampa River Watershed (UYRW) drains approximately 1,798 square miles west of the Continental Divide in northwestern Colorado. The Upper Yampa River Watershed includes the Yampa River Basin upstream from Elkhead Creek and the Elkhead Creek Basin and primarily is in Routt County. The city of Steamboat Springs and the towns of Hayden, Oak Creek, and Yampa are in the watershed. The Yampa...Eagle River Water-Quality Data
The Eagle River drains approximately 970 square miles (sq mi) west of the Continental Divide in central Colorado before flowing into the Colorado River. The Eagle River watershed (ERW) is located primarily within Eagle County and includes the towns of Vail, Minturn, Avon, Edwards, Eagle, and Gypsum. The eastern boundary of the Eagle River watershed is drained by Gore Creek, located at Vail Pass...Piceance Basin Water-Quality Data
As large-scale energy development continues in the Piceance Basin, there is potential for changes in surface-water and groundwater resources. In the southern Piceance Basin, a water task force consisting of numerous local governments, municipalities, and energy companies collectively identified the need for a common data repository. In the northern Piceance Basin, similar efforts were underway in...Upper Gunnison River Water-Quality Data
The Upper Gunnison River Watershed, located in the Rocky Mountains 150 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado, drains approximately 3,965 square miles. Forest and rangeland comprise 89 percent of land within the watershed, but the traditional western ranching economy is increasingly supplemented through a tourism economy centered around Crested Butte Mountain Resort and the Curecanti National...Roaring Fork Watershed Water-Quality Data
The Roaring Fork Watershed, located in the Rocky Mountains 150 miles west of Denver, Colorado, has seen rapid development and population growth in recent years. The USGS, in cooperation with Pitkin County, Colorado Water Conservation District, Ruedi Water and Power Authority, and other local entities, conducted a comprehensive surface- and ground-water resource assessment in the Roaring Fork River...Arkansas River Water-Quality Data
The Arkansas River Basin drains an area of 24,904 square miles of southeastern Colorado. Like other basins on the Front Range, the Arkansas Basin has experienced growth and is expected to have significant increases in growth in the future. Demands on the limited water resources also will increase as changes in water storage, water releases, and/or transfer of waters within or outside of the basin...Blue River Water-Quality Data
The Blue River drains approximately 680 square miles west of the Continental Divide in central Colorado before flowing northward into the Colorado River near Kremmling, Colorado. The Blue River watershed (BRW) is almost entirely located in Summit County and includes the towns of Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco, Montezuma, and Silverthorne. Dillon Reservoir and Green Mountain Reservoir are major water... - Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 14Net Acid Production, Acid Neutralizing Capacity, and Associated Mineralogical and Geochemical Characteristics of Animas River Watershed Igneous Rocks Near Silverton, Colorado
This report presents results from laboratory and field studies involving the net acid production (NAP), acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), and magnetic mineralogy of 27 samples collected in altered volcanic terrain in the upper Animas River watershed near Silverton, Colo., during the summer of 2005. Sampling focused mainly on the volumetrically important, Tertiary-age volcanic and plutonic rocks thAuthorsDouglas B. Yager, LaDonna Choate, Mark R. StantonWater-Quality Data Collected from Vallecito Reservoir, Its Inflows and Outflow, Southwestern Colorado, 1999-2002
The Pine River Watershed Stakeholders Group was created in December 1997 to allow local participation in addressing water-quality issues in Los Pi?os River watershed, including Vallecito Reservoir in southwestern Colorado. One water-quality issue identified by the stakeholder group is to increase the understanding of the current water quality of Vallecito Reservoir, its two major inflows, and itsAuthorsAnthony J. RanalliEnvironmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River watershed, southwestern Colorado
The U.S. Geological Survey has completed an extensive environmental study of the effects of historical mining on water and sediment quality and aquatic and riparian habitat in the Animas River watershed upstream from Silverton, Colorado. Results from this study are being used by Federal and State agencies and by the local watershed stakeholders group to implement remediation and cleanup activitiesAuthorsStan E. ChurchIntegrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River Watershed, San Juan County, Colorado
This publication comprises a Volume Contents of chapters (listed below) and a CD-ROM of data (contents shown in column at right). The Animas River watershed in southwest Colorado is one of many watersheds in the western United States where historical mining has left a legacy of acid mine drainage and elevated concentrations of potentially toxic trace elements in surface streams. U.S. GeologicalHydrostratigraphic Framework of the Raton, Vermejo, and Trinidad Aquifers in the Raton Basin, Las Animas County, Colorado
Exploration for and production of coalbed methane has increased substantially in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States since the 1990s. During 1999-2004, annual production of natural gas (coalbed methane) from the Raton Basin in Las Animas County, Colorado, increased from 28,129,515 to 80,224,130 thousand cubic feet, and the annual volume of ground water coproduced by coalbed methane wellAuthorsKenneth R. WattsPreliminary Assessment of Landslides Along the Florida River Downstream from Lemon Reservoir, La Plata County, Colorado
Nearly two-dozen shallow landslides were active during spring 2005 on a hillside located along the east side of the Florida River about one kilometer downstream from Lemon Reservoir in La Plata County, southwestern Colorado. Landslides on the hillside directly threaten human safety, residential structures, a county roadway, utilities, and the Florida River, and indirectly threaten downstream areasAuthorsWilliam H. Schulz, Jeffrey A. Coe, William L. Ellis, John D. KiblerQuantification and simulation of metal loading to the Upper Animas River, Eureka to Silverton, San Juan County, Colorado, September 1997 and August 1998
Drainage from abandoned and inactive mines and from naturally mineralized areas in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado contributes metals to the upper Animas River near Silverton, Colorado. Tracer-injection studies and associated synoptic sampling were performed along two reaches of the upper Animas River to develop detailed profiles of stream discharge and to locate and quantify sources oAuthorsSuzanne S. Paschke, Briant A. Kimball, Robert L. RunkelUsing water-quality profiles to characterize seasonal water quality and loading in the upper Animas River basin, southwestern Colorado
One of the important types of information needed to characterize water quality in streams affected by historical mining is the seasonal pattern of toxic trace-metal concentrations and loads. Seasonal patterns in water quality are estimated in this report using a technique called water-quality profiling. Water-quality profiling allows land managers and scientists to assess priority areas to be targAuthorsKenneth J. Leib, Alisa Mast, Winfield G. WrightReconnaissance-level application of physical habitat simulation in the evaluation of physical habitat limits in the Animas Basin, Colorado
The Animas River is in southwestern Colorado and flows mostly to the south to join the San Juan River at Farmington, New Mexico (Figure 1). The Upper Animas River watershed is in San Juan County, Colorado and is located in the San Juan Mountains. The lower river is in the Colorado Plateau country. The winters are cold with considerable snowfall and little snowmelt in the mountains in the upper parAuthorsRobert T. MilhousEffect of the Paradox Valley Unit on the dissolved-solids load of the Dolores River near Bedrock, Colorado, 1988-2001
Discharge of brine with an average dissolved-solids concentration of about 256,000 milligrams per liter from alluvium in Paradox Valley, a collapsed salt anticline, substantially increases the dissolved-solids load of the Dolores River. In 1996, the Bureau of Reclamation began operation of the Paradox Valley Unit, a series of brine-withdrawal wells completed in alluvium along the Dolores River andAuthorsDaniel T. ChafinWater quality and aquatic toxicity data of 2002 spring thaw conditions in the upper Animas River watershed, Silverton, Colorado
This report presents hydrologic, water-quality, and biologic toxicity data collected during the annual spring thaw of 2002 in the upper Animas River watershed near Silverton, Colorado. The spring-thaw runoff is a concern because elevated concentrations of iron oxyhydroxides can contain sorbed trace metals that are potentially toxic to aquatic life. Water chemistry of streams draining the San JuanAuthorsD. L. Fey, L. Wirt, J.M. Besser, W. G. WrightEvaluation of Metal Toxicity in Streams Affected by Abandoned Mine Lands, Upper Animas River Watershed, Colorado
Acid drainage from abandoned mines and from naturally-acidic rocks and soil in the upper Animas River watershed of Colorado generates elevated concentrations of acidity and dissolved metals in stream waters and deposition of metal-contaminated particulates in streambed sediments, resulting in both toxicity and habitat degradation for stream biota. High concentrations of iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), zAuthorsJohn M. Besser, Ann L. Allert, Douglas K. Hardesty, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Thomas W. May, Ning Wang, Kenneth J. Leib - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.