Selected hydrologic data for the south Platte River through Denver, Colorado

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the cities of Littleton and Englewood, Colorado, studied the effects of the discharge of treated effluent from the Bi-City Waste Water Treatment Plant on low-flow conditions of the South Platte River. An 18-mile reach of the South Platte River, beginning below Chatfield Reservoir, through the Denver metropolitan area was studied. Chatfield Reservoir was used to regulate the flow of the South Platte River on four occasions between October 1982 and January 1984. Each flow-regulation period was used to achieve a stable, low-flow condition. Data collection during low flow allowed for the study of waste assimilation during both warm- and cold-water conditions. Water quality, streamflow, channel geometry, traveltime, mixing-zone, reaeration, and benthic-oxygen demand data were collected at selected instream, tributary, and effluent sites. This report presents data collected during four periods of low flow along the South Platte River. (USGS)