Rodney J Richards
Rod is an Hydrologist with the Colorado Water Science Center
Science and Products
Data from the assessment of sediment-retention ponds near Delta, Colorado, 2019
In 2019, soil samples were collected at selected sediment-retention ponds in the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, near Delta, Colorado. This dataset includes pond location, pond characteristics, soil-moisture data, soil-chemistry data, and geophysical data. Pond locations were surveyed using real-time kinematic Global Navigation Satellite Systems (RTK-GNSS) methods and incorporated as a
Cross-Section Geometry and Sediment-Size Data from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, western Colorado, 2019
This dataset contains cross-section geometry and sediment-size data collected in the fall of 2019 from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, western Colorado. Six cross sections were surveyed using Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) methods to document channel geometry below Paonia Reservoir. One cross section was surveyed on Muddy Creek b
Concentration of inorganic chemistry associated with suspended sediment at Muddy Creek below Paonia Reservoir, U.S. Geological Survey site number 385626107212000.
Dataset includes the analysis results of 49 inorganic chemical elements bound to suspended-sediment particles below Paonia Reservoir during a sediment release in September 2017. Suspended-sediment samples were collected at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) station number 385626107212000 by following data collection procedures and protocols in Edwards and Glysson (1999). The samples were freeze-dried a
Surrogate regression models for computation of time series suspended-sediment concentrations at Muddy Creek above Paonia Reservoir, Anthracite Creek above mouth near Somerset, and North Fork Gunnison below Raven Gulch near Somerset, Colorado
This model archive summary documents the surrogate regression model used to compute suspended-sediment concentrations at Muddy Creek above Paonia Reservoir, CO, USGS site number 385903107210800. The methods used follow U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) guidance as referenced in relevant Office of Surface Water Technical Memorandum (TM) 2016.07 and Office of Water Quality TM 2016.10, and USGS Technique
Cross-Section Geometry and Sediment-Size Distribution Data from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, Colorado, 2018
This dataset contains cross-section geometry and sediment-size distribution data collected in the fall of 2018 from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, western Colorado. Six cross-sections were surveyed using Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) methods to document channel geometry below the reservoir in 2015. Those same cross-sections wer
Cross-Section Geometry and Sediment-Size Distribution Data from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, western Colorado, 2017
This data set contains cross-section geometry and sediment-size distribution data collected in the fall of 2017 from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, western Colorado. Six cross-sections were surveyed using Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) methods to document channel geometry below the reservoir in 2015. Those same cross-sections we
Cross-Section Geometry and Sediment-Size Distribution Data from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, Colorado, 2015
This data set contains cross-section geometry and sediment-size distribution data collected in the fall of 2015 from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, Colorado. Six cross-sections were surveyed using Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) methods to document channel geometry below the reservoir. One cross-section was surveyed on Muddy Cree
Cross-Section Geometry and Sediment-Size Distribution Data from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, Colorado, 2016
This data set contains cross-section geometry and sediment-size distribution data collected in the fall of 2016 from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, Colorado. Six cross-sections were surveyed using Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) methods to document channel geometry below the reservoir in 2015. Those same cross-sections were re-su
Assessment of salinity retention or mobilization by sediment-retention ponds near Delta, Colorado, 2019
Salinity control efforts in the Colorado River Basin have focused on mobilization of salts from irrigated land, but nonirrigated rangelands are also a source of salinity. In particular, lands where soils have formed from the Late Cretaceous Mancos Shale under arid and semiarid climates contain considerable quantities of salt, mainly in the subsurface. Hundreds of thousands of contour furrows and c
Authors
Rodney J. Richards, Carleton R. Bern, Victoria Moreno
Implementing a rapid deployment bridge scour monitoring system in Colorado, 2019
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Transportation, installed and operated real-time scour monitoring instrumentation at two bridges in Colorado in 2016 and 2017 to measure streambed elevations in real-time. The instrumentation included acoustic echosounder depth sensors mounted to the bridge substructure units with rigid conduit and fittings. Although functi
Authors
Mark F. Henneberg, Rodney J. Richards
Assessment of diel cycling in nutrients and trace elements in the Eagle River Basin, 2017–18
Diel cycles are known to occur in all types of waters, and increasing studies indicate routine water samples may not provide an accurate snapshot in concentrations of trace elements and nutrients. Diel behavior in neutral to alkaline pH ranges is independent of streamflow variability and concentration. Extensive historical U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) water-quality data have been collected in the
Authors
Rodney J. Richards, Mark F. Henneberg
Streamflow and selenium loads during synoptic sampling of the Gunnison River and its tributaries near Delta, Colorado, November 2015
In response to the need for more information about selenium (Se) sources and transport, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, completed a study that characterized Se loads in a reach of the Gunnison River between Delta and Grand Junction, Colo. This report identifies where possible dissolved Se loading is occurring in a study reach in the Lower Gunn
Authors
Michael R. Stevens, Kenneth J. Leib, Judith C. Thomas, Nancy J. Bauch, Rodney J. Richards
Hydraulic, geomorphic, and trout habitat conditions of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River in Hinsdale County, Lake City, Colorado, Water Years 2010-2011
Channel rehabilitation, or reconfiguration, to mitigate a variety of riverine problems has become a common practice in the western United States. However, additional work to monitor and assess the channel response to, and the effectiveness of, these modifications over longer periods of time (decadal or longer) is still needed. The Lake Fork of the Gunnison River has been an area of active channel
Authors
Cory A. Williams, Rodney J. Richards, Keelin R. Schaffrath
Suspended-sediment transport and storage: A demonstration of acoustic methods in the evaluation of reservoir management strategies for a small water-supply reservoir in western Colorado
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and local stakeholder groups are evaluating reservoir-management strategies within Paonia Reservoir. This small reservoir fills to capacity each spring and requires approximately half of the snowmelt-runoff volume from its sediment-laden source waters, Muddy Creek. The U.S. Geological Survey is currently conducting high-resolution (15-minute data-recording int
Authors
Cory A. Williams, Rodney J. Richards, Kent L. Collins
Characterization of streamflow, salinity, and selenium loading and land-use change in Montrose Arroyo, western Colorado, from 1992 to 2013
Salinity and dissolved selenium are known water-quality impairments in the lower Gunnison River watershed of western Colorado. Salinity is a concern because of its adverse effects on agricultural land and equipment, and on municipal and industrial users. The Montrose Arroyo watershed in Montrose, Colorado, contains agricultural and residential areas as well as undeveloped land and has undergone su
Authors
Rodney J. Richards, Jennifer L. Moore
Characterization of salinity loads and selenium loads in the Smith Fork Creek region of the Lower Gunnison River Basin, western Colorado, 2008-2009
The lower Gunnison River Basin of the Colorado River Basin has elevated salinity and selenium levels. The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of June 24, 1974 (Public Law 93–320, amended by Public Law 98–569), authorized investigation of the Lower Gunnison Basin Unit Salinity Control Project by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Natural Resou
Authors
Rodney J. Richards, Joshua I. Linard, Christopher M. Hobza
Application of sediment characteristics and transport conditions to resource management in selected main-stem reaches of the Upper Colorado River, Colorado and Utah, 1965-2007
The Colorado River Basin provides habitat for 14 native fish, including 4 endangered species protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. These endangered fish species once thrived in the Colorado River system, but water-resource development, including the building of numerous diversion dams and several large reservoirs, and the introduction of non-native fish, resulted in large red
Authors
Cory A. Williams, Keelin R. Schaffrath, John G. Elliott, Rodney J. Richards
Assessment of surface-water quantity and quality, Eagle River watershed, Colorado, 1947-2007
From the early mining days to the current tourism-based economy, the Eagle River watershed (ERW) in central Colorado has undergone a sequence of land-use changes that has affected the hydrology, habitat, and water quality of the area. In 2000, the USGS, in cooperation with the Colorado River Water Conservation District, Eagle County, Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, Upper Eagle Regional
Authors
Cory A. Williams, Jennifer L. Moore, Rodney J. Richards
Characterization of hydrology and salinity in the Dolores project area, McElmo Creek region, southwest Colorado, water years 1978-2006
Increasing salinity loading in the Colorado River has become a major concern for agricultural and municipal water supplies. The Colorado Salinity Control Act was implemented in 1974 to protect and enhance the quality of water in the Colorado River Basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Colorado River Salinity Control Forum, summarized salinity redu
Authors
Rodney J. Richards, Kenneth J. Leib
Science and Products
Data from the assessment of sediment-retention ponds near Delta, Colorado, 2019
In 2019, soil samples were collected at selected sediment-retention ponds in the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, near Delta, Colorado. This dataset includes pond location, pond characteristics, soil-moisture data, soil-chemistry data, and geophysical data. Pond locations were surveyed using real-time kinematic Global Navigation Satellite Systems (RTK-GNSS) methods and incorporated as a
Cross-Section Geometry and Sediment-Size Data from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, western Colorado, 2019
This dataset contains cross-section geometry and sediment-size data collected in the fall of 2019 from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, western Colorado. Six cross sections were surveyed using Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) methods to document channel geometry below Paonia Reservoir. One cross section was surveyed on Muddy Creek b
Concentration of inorganic chemistry associated with suspended sediment at Muddy Creek below Paonia Reservoir, U.S. Geological Survey site number 385626107212000.
Dataset includes the analysis results of 49 inorganic chemical elements bound to suspended-sediment particles below Paonia Reservoir during a sediment release in September 2017. Suspended-sediment samples were collected at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) station number 385626107212000 by following data collection procedures and protocols in Edwards and Glysson (1999). The samples were freeze-dried a
Surrogate regression models for computation of time series suspended-sediment concentrations at Muddy Creek above Paonia Reservoir, Anthracite Creek above mouth near Somerset, and North Fork Gunnison below Raven Gulch near Somerset, Colorado
This model archive summary documents the surrogate regression model used to compute suspended-sediment concentrations at Muddy Creek above Paonia Reservoir, CO, USGS site number 385903107210800. The methods used follow U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) guidance as referenced in relevant Office of Surface Water Technical Memorandum (TM) 2016.07 and Office of Water Quality TM 2016.10, and USGS Technique
Cross-Section Geometry and Sediment-Size Distribution Data from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, Colorado, 2018
This dataset contains cross-section geometry and sediment-size distribution data collected in the fall of 2018 from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, western Colorado. Six cross-sections were surveyed using Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) methods to document channel geometry below the reservoir in 2015. Those same cross-sections wer
Cross-Section Geometry and Sediment-Size Distribution Data from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, western Colorado, 2017
This data set contains cross-section geometry and sediment-size distribution data collected in the fall of 2017 from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, western Colorado. Six cross-sections were surveyed using Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) methods to document channel geometry below the reservoir in 2015. Those same cross-sections we
Cross-Section Geometry and Sediment-Size Distribution Data from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, Colorado, 2015
This data set contains cross-section geometry and sediment-size distribution data collected in the fall of 2015 from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, Colorado. Six cross-sections were surveyed using Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) methods to document channel geometry below the reservoir. One cross-section was surveyed on Muddy Cree
Cross-Section Geometry and Sediment-Size Distribution Data from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, Colorado, 2016
This data set contains cross-section geometry and sediment-size distribution data collected in the fall of 2016 from Muddy Creek and North Fork Gunnison River below Paonia Reservoir, Colorado. Six cross-sections were surveyed using Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) methods to document channel geometry below the reservoir in 2015. Those same cross-sections were re-su
Assessment of salinity retention or mobilization by sediment-retention ponds near Delta, Colorado, 2019
Salinity control efforts in the Colorado River Basin have focused on mobilization of salts from irrigated land, but nonirrigated rangelands are also a source of salinity. In particular, lands where soils have formed from the Late Cretaceous Mancos Shale under arid and semiarid climates contain considerable quantities of salt, mainly in the subsurface. Hundreds of thousands of contour furrows and c
Authors
Rodney J. Richards, Carleton R. Bern, Victoria Moreno
Implementing a rapid deployment bridge scour monitoring system in Colorado, 2019
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Transportation, installed and operated real-time scour monitoring instrumentation at two bridges in Colorado in 2016 and 2017 to measure streambed elevations in real-time. The instrumentation included acoustic echosounder depth sensors mounted to the bridge substructure units with rigid conduit and fittings. Although functi
Authors
Mark F. Henneberg, Rodney J. Richards
Assessment of diel cycling in nutrients and trace elements in the Eagle River Basin, 2017–18
Diel cycles are known to occur in all types of waters, and increasing studies indicate routine water samples may not provide an accurate snapshot in concentrations of trace elements and nutrients. Diel behavior in neutral to alkaline pH ranges is independent of streamflow variability and concentration. Extensive historical U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) water-quality data have been collected in the
Authors
Rodney J. Richards, Mark F. Henneberg
Streamflow and selenium loads during synoptic sampling of the Gunnison River and its tributaries near Delta, Colorado, November 2015
In response to the need for more information about selenium (Se) sources and transport, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, completed a study that characterized Se loads in a reach of the Gunnison River between Delta and Grand Junction, Colo. This report identifies where possible dissolved Se loading is occurring in a study reach in the Lower Gunn
Authors
Michael R. Stevens, Kenneth J. Leib, Judith C. Thomas, Nancy J. Bauch, Rodney J. Richards
Hydraulic, geomorphic, and trout habitat conditions of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River in Hinsdale County, Lake City, Colorado, Water Years 2010-2011
Channel rehabilitation, or reconfiguration, to mitigate a variety of riverine problems has become a common practice in the western United States. However, additional work to monitor and assess the channel response to, and the effectiveness of, these modifications over longer periods of time (decadal or longer) is still needed. The Lake Fork of the Gunnison River has been an area of active channel
Authors
Cory A. Williams, Rodney J. Richards, Keelin R. Schaffrath
Suspended-sediment transport and storage: A demonstration of acoustic methods in the evaluation of reservoir management strategies for a small water-supply reservoir in western Colorado
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and local stakeholder groups are evaluating reservoir-management strategies within Paonia Reservoir. This small reservoir fills to capacity each spring and requires approximately half of the snowmelt-runoff volume from its sediment-laden source waters, Muddy Creek. The U.S. Geological Survey is currently conducting high-resolution (15-minute data-recording int
Authors
Cory A. Williams, Rodney J. Richards, Kent L. Collins
Characterization of streamflow, salinity, and selenium loading and land-use change in Montrose Arroyo, western Colorado, from 1992 to 2013
Salinity and dissolved selenium are known water-quality impairments in the lower Gunnison River watershed of western Colorado. Salinity is a concern because of its adverse effects on agricultural land and equipment, and on municipal and industrial users. The Montrose Arroyo watershed in Montrose, Colorado, contains agricultural and residential areas as well as undeveloped land and has undergone su
Authors
Rodney J. Richards, Jennifer L. Moore
Characterization of salinity loads and selenium loads in the Smith Fork Creek region of the Lower Gunnison River Basin, western Colorado, 2008-2009
The lower Gunnison River Basin of the Colorado River Basin has elevated salinity and selenium levels. The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of June 24, 1974 (Public Law 93–320, amended by Public Law 98–569), authorized investigation of the Lower Gunnison Basin Unit Salinity Control Project by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Natural Resou
Authors
Rodney J. Richards, Joshua I. Linard, Christopher M. Hobza
Application of sediment characteristics and transport conditions to resource management in selected main-stem reaches of the Upper Colorado River, Colorado and Utah, 1965-2007
The Colorado River Basin provides habitat for 14 native fish, including 4 endangered species protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. These endangered fish species once thrived in the Colorado River system, but water-resource development, including the building of numerous diversion dams and several large reservoirs, and the introduction of non-native fish, resulted in large red
Authors
Cory A. Williams, Keelin R. Schaffrath, John G. Elliott, Rodney J. Richards
Assessment of surface-water quantity and quality, Eagle River watershed, Colorado, 1947-2007
From the early mining days to the current tourism-based economy, the Eagle River watershed (ERW) in central Colorado has undergone a sequence of land-use changes that has affected the hydrology, habitat, and water quality of the area. In 2000, the USGS, in cooperation with the Colorado River Water Conservation District, Eagle County, Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, Upper Eagle Regional
Authors
Cory A. Williams, Jennifer L. Moore, Rodney J. Richards
Characterization of hydrology and salinity in the Dolores project area, McElmo Creek region, southwest Colorado, water years 1978-2006
Increasing salinity loading in the Colorado River has become a major concern for agricultural and municipal water supplies. The Colorado Salinity Control Act was implemented in 1974 to protect and enhance the quality of water in the Colorado River Basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Colorado River Salinity Control Forum, summarized salinity redu
Authors
Rodney J. Richards, Kenneth J. Leib