USGS Water Resource Monitoring and Assessment Activities

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USGS Water Resource Monitoring and Assessment
Activities

• Salinity and other topics presented to the
  Garfield County Energy Advisory BoardDec. 1,
  2005
  
• Paul von Guerard
• Kirby Wynn
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Grand Junction, CO

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USGS Water Mission Statement

• To provide reliable, impartial, timely
  information that is needed to understand the
  Nations water resources to
  
• Minimize the loss of life and property.
• Effectively manage ground-water and surface-water
  resources.
  
• Protect and enhance water resources for human
  health, aquatic health, and environmental
  quality.
  
• Contribute to wise physical and economic
  development of the Nations resources
  

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USGS role in water-resource assessment

• Assess the quantity and quality of the Nations
  water supplies
  
• Collect data and conduct water-resources
  investigations to support local, State, and
  Federal needs
  
• Maintain nationwide hydrologic-data network and
  publicly available database
  
• Develop methodologies for the hydrologic sciences

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Western Slope Streamgaging Network 111 Stations
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Western Slope Water-Quality Network55 Stations

• Commonly includes
• Streamflow
• Major Ions (salinity)
• Nutrients
• Metals
• Real-time water-quality monitors

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Current Partners for Monitoring and Assessment in
Western Colorado

• Federal Agencies Bureau of Land Management,
  Bureau of Reclamation, Natural Resource
  Conservation Service, US Forest Service, National
  Park ServiceLocal and State Agencies
• Garfield County and many other Counties and
  Towns, Colorado Department of Natural Resources,
  Department of Transportation
  
• Water Conservancy/Conservation Districts and
  Water Authorities
  
• Colorado River Water Conservation District,
  Colorado Water Conservation Board, Roaring Fork
  Conservancy, Water and Sanitation Districts

• Private Groups Nahcolite and Coal mining
  companies, Ski Companies, Nonprofit Organizations

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Water Data Supports Planning and Assessment

• Resource Management/Water Administration
• Rivers, Reservoirs, Aquifers, Ecosystems
• Baseline Conditions
• Comparison to Standards
• Changes through time
• Comparison among Sites
• Flood Warning
• Ecosystem recovery and protection
• Prioritizing BMPs
• Quantify BMP effectiveness
• Recreation planning

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Data Collection example Colorado River near Cameo

• Long-term Real-time streamflow (1933), specific
  conductance (1935), water temperature (1949)
  
• Previously, to more completely characterize
  conditions, data collection included
  
• Major Ions (Salinity)
• Nutrients
• Pesticides and other organics
• Trace Metals
• Volatile Organic Compounds
• Algae, Invertebrate, and Fish Community
• Riparian and instream habitat
• Sediment transport and chemistry

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Data Interpretation Salinity Examples

• Salinity describes the dissolved mineral
  content of water
  
• Total Dissolved Solids
• Major Ions
• Specific Conductance

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Salinity is a major water-quality concern
throughout the Colorado River Basin
Irrigation
Glenwood Springs
Mancos Shale
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Colorado River Basin
More than 4 million acres irrigated
246,000 square miles
Water for 31 million people
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The Problem
9 million tons of salt pass Lees Ferry every yea
r
47 natural sources 53 human-induced
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Salinity Standards
Developed to reduce economic damages in Lower Ba
sin
Approved in 1975 adopted by each of the seven
basin states
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Salinity Trends in the Upper Colorado River
Basin(through 1996)
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Salinity Contributions to the Colorado River
Upstream from the Colorado State Line
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Salinity Loads to the Colorado River Upstream
from the Colorado State Line
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Water Quality Data Gaps
Currently developing partnerships to
Determine baseline water-quality conditions in
South Canyon downstream from Glenwood Springs
Other important water-quality data gaps Midbas
in (Debeque/Rulison) streamgage and water-quality
site Detailed baseflow characterization of Colo
rado River and Tributaries between Glenwood
Springs and Cameo
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Contact info for follow-up
Paul von Guerard [phone] x14 pbvongue_at_u
sgs.gov
Kirby Wynn [phone] x23 khwynn_at_usgs.gov