Aquatic Ecology

Monument and Fountain Creeks and their respective watersheds, located in the Front Range of Colorado, serve as important drainages for surface runoff, waste-water treatment operations, and as a water supply for downstream agricultural needs. As population growth continues in these watersheds, more and more pressures are being applied to the receiving streams, especially Fountain Creek.

Decline of amphibian populations worldwide has prompted an international effort to determine causes of decline in various locations and ecosytems. Some causes which have been suggested include habitat alteration, introduced species, disease, and environmental stressors such as ultraviolet radiation, agricultural chemicals in groundwater, and contaminants in atmospheric deposition. The Amphibian...

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is responsible for monitoring the status of fishes in Colorado and currently seeks to establish a rigorous, efficient monitoring program for fishes that occur in stream habitats from the mountain-plains interface east to the Colorado state line. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, assessed the potential use of combining...

The St. Vrain River watershed in northeastern Colorado has experienced rapid urban growth over the last two decades. Population growth has led to increased volumes being treated at wastewater-treatment plants (WWTPs) in the basin. In the last two decades, in-stream restoration efforts and new treatment technologies have been implemented by the City of Longmont, with the goal of improving water...

The U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program has conducted periodic reconnaissance studies of streams in 10 midwestern states to determine the geographic and seasonal distribution of herbicide compounds.

Small fractions, estimated at <1 to 2% of the pesticides applied to Midwestern cropland are lost from fields and enter nearby streams during rainfall events. In many cases aquatic organisms are exposed to mixtures of chemicals, which may lead to greater non-target risk than that predicted based on traditional risk assessments for single chemicals. Relatively little research has been directed at...