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Colorado Water Science Center

Welcome to the USGS Colorado Water Science Center!  Please use these pages to explore the hydrologic data and scientific investigations we conduct on Colorado water resources.

NOTICE: USGS is improving the way that sample data are stored and served to the public.

News

Media Alert: USGS Dye Tracing Study in Fraser River

Media Alert: USGS Dye Tracing Study in Fraser River

Media Alert: USGS Dye-Tracing Study in Lake Fork Creek to Map Groundwater Flow

Media Alert: USGS Dye-Tracing Study in Lake Fork Creek to Map Groundwater Flow

Art Illuminates the Grand Canyon: Exploring the Environmental Puzzle

Art Illuminates the Grand Canyon: Exploring the Environmental Puzzle

Publications

Tracing metal sources and groundwater flow paths in the Upper Animas River watershed using rare earth elements and stable isotopes

Groundwater flow paths and processes that govern metal mobility and transport are difficult to characterize in mountainous bedrock watersheds. Despite the difficulty in holistic characterization, conceptual understanding of subsurface hydrologic and geochemical processes is key to developing remediation plans for locations affected by acid mine drainage, such as the Upper Animas River...
Authors
Connor P. Newman, Rory M. Cowie, Rick Wilkin, Alexis Navarre-Sitchler

Groundwater-level elevations in the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers and Upper Black Squirrel Creek alluvial aquifer, El Paso County, Colorado, 2021–24

El Paso County is the second-most populous county in Colorado and is projected to grow another 15 percent by 2030. Within El Paso County is the Upper Black Squirrel Creek Designated Groundwater Basin (Black Squirrel Basin), an area where surface water is scarce and water users rely primarily on groundwater from five different aquifers (the Upper Black Squirrel Creek alluvial aquifer and...
Authors
Zachary D. Kisfalusi, Erin K. Hennessy, Jackson B. Sharp

Agricultural return flow dynamics on a reach of the East River, Colorado, as assessed by mass balance

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, studied historical streamflow in a reach of the East River, Colorado, to gain a preliminary understanding of return flow dynamics. Return flow is agricultural irrigation water that is not consumed by evapotranspiration and instead reaches streams by surface and subsurface flow paths. The...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Rachel G. Gidley

Science

Biologically Active Chemical Research Core Technology Team

About the Research. The Biologically Active Chemicals Research Core Technology Team (CTT) as part of the Environmental Health Program conducts field and laboratory research on the occurrence, fate, and effects of complex mixtures of biologically active organic and inorganic chemicals in aquatic environments.
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Biologically Active Chemical Research Core Technology Team

About the Research. The Biologically Active Chemicals Research Core Technology Team (CTT) as part of the Environmental Health Program conducts field and laboratory research on the occurrence, fate, and effects of complex mixtures of biologically active organic and inorganic chemicals in aquatic environments.
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Isotopic and environmental tracers for improved understanding of geochemical and hydrologic processes occurring near flooded mine workings

Draining mine tunnels contribute metals and acidity to streams throughout the western United States. One remediation strategy that is increasing in usage is the emplacement of hydraulic bulkheads to impound water within the subsurface. Potential secondary effects of bulkhead usage are difficult to quantify however because of the inherent complexity of most mountain hydrologic systems. In...
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Isotopic and environmental tracers for improved understanding of geochemical and hydrologic processes occurring near flooded mine workings

Draining mine tunnels contribute metals and acidity to streams throughout the western United States. One remediation strategy that is increasing in usage is the emplacement of hydraulic bulkheads to impound water within the subsurface. Potential secondary effects of bulkhead usage are difficult to quantify however because of the inherent complexity of most mountain hydrologic systems. In...
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USGS Science in the Three Lakes System

The Three Lakes System of Colorado includes Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Reservoir, and Granby Reservoir. This system is located within the headwaters of the Upper Colorado River Basin and is near the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. The town of Grand Lake is a popular recreational location within Colorado, and the Three Lakes System provides year-round activities including swimming...
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USGS Science in the Three Lakes System

The Three Lakes System of Colorado includes Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Reservoir, and Granby Reservoir. This system is located within the headwaters of the Upper Colorado River Basin and is near the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. The town of Grand Lake is a popular recreational location within Colorado, and the Three Lakes System provides year-round activities including swimming...
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