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 are likely to occur to accommodate the growing population. In addition to changes in water use, water quality within the basin can be affected by land-use changes associated with urbanization and agricultural practices.
In an effort to better understand and minimize potential adverse effects of water- and land-use changes, a number of collaborators including Conservancy Districts, local Water Utility companies and State agencies have identified the need for a common data repository of existing basin data from Federal, State, academia, and local sources.
Targeted constituents to include in the data base are:
- total dissolved solids,
- specific conductance,
- salinity,
- pH,
- water temperature,
- dissolved oxygen,
- sulfate,
- other major ions,
- uranium,
- selenium,
- and nutrients.
Ancillary data sets, such as streamflow information and ground-water levels, and selected GIS (Geographic Information System) digital data sets also need to be compiled and included in a data base.
Below are other science projects associated with the Colorado Water-Quality Data Repository.
Identifying Changes in Background Water-Quality Conditions, Arkansas River and Fountain Creek, Colorado
Upper Yampa Watershed Water-Quality Data
Eagle River Water-Quality Data
Piceance Basin Water-Quality Data
Upper Gunnison River Water-Quality Data
Southwest Study Area Water-Quality Data
Roaring Fork Watershed Water-Quality Data
Blue River Water-Quality Data
- Overview
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 are likely to occur to accommodate the growing population. In addition to changes in water use, water quality within the basin can be affected by land-use changes associated with urbanization and agricultural practices.
In an effort to better understand and minimize potential adverse effects of water- and land-use changes, a number of collaborators including Conservancy Districts, local Water Utility companies and State agencies have identified the need for a common data repository of existing basin data from Federal, State, academia, and local sources.
Targeted constituents to include in the data base are:
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Arkansas River Basin Water-Quality - total dissolved solids,
- specific conductance,
- salinity,
- pH,
- water temperature,
- dissolved oxygen,
- sulfate,
- other major ions,
- uranium,
- selenium,
- and nutrients.
Ancillary data sets, such as streamflow information and ground-water levels, and selected GIS (Geographic Information System) digital data sets also need to be compiled and included in a data base.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with the Colorado Water-Quality Data Repository.
Identifying Changes in Background Water-Quality Conditions, Arkansas River and Fountain Creek, Colorado
Demands for water are projected to increase in the Lower Arkansas River Basin as the population continues to grow. Strategies to meet those demands include continued operation of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water, enlargement of Pueblo and Turquoise Reservoirs, and various conservation measures; the overall strategy is defined in the Preferred Storage Options Plan (PSOP: see the Southeastern...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...Southwest Study Area Water-Quality Data
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...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...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... - Publications
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