Sediment-transport characteristics and effects of sediment transport on benthic invertebrates in the Fountain Creek drainage basin upstream from Widefield, southeastern Colorado, 1985-88

Sediment and benthic-invertebrate data were collected during water years 1985 through 1988 in the Fountain Creek drainage basin upstream from Widefield, Colorado. Sediment data collected include suspended-sediment concentrations and particle size analysis of suspended sediment, bedload, and bed material. Sediment-transport equations were derived for total suspended-sediment discharge and suspended-sand discharge at seven periodic sampling sites. Annual suspended-sediment loads for water years 1985 through 1988 and mean suspended-sediment yields were computed for the seven periodic sampling sites. Mean annual suspended-sediment yield for 1985 through 1988 increased about 73% downstream in the Fountain Creek drainage basin primarily as a result of sediment discharging from Monument Creek. Bedload discharge was computed at six of the periodic sampling sites and ranged from 2.6 to 3,570 tons/day. Bedload discharge, as a percentage of total sediment discharge, ranged from 6 to 92%, and the smaller values occurred during rainfall runoff. Number of taxa, species density, and similarity indices were determined for benthic invertebrates at five of the periodic sampling sites. Multiple comparison tests were used to test for similarity of benthic invertebrates between the five sites. Multiple-regression analysis was done to determine the effects of sediment transport on benthic-invertebrate densities. Median grain size of bed material collected in conjunction with benthic- invertebrate samples and flooding during the 30 days prior to sampling consistently accounted for the most variation in mean densities of total organisms and major taxa groups sampled. (USGS)