Water Quality Overview Fountain Creek Watershed

Transcription

1 Water Quality Overview Fountain Creek Watershed

2 *Regulations and Standards *Impairments 303 (d) list *Monitoring and Analyses *Results *Projects *Stream Flow 2013 Storm Event

3 Colorado streams are divided into individual stream segments for use classification and standards identification purposes. Segmentation occurs either at some apparent geographic/hydrologic point or at a point where some physical or chemical factor changes the character of the watercourse significantly. The Water Quality Control Commission establishes water quality regulations for the state of Colorado. Regulation #31: Basic Standards and Methodologies for Surface Water. March last updated June 2016 Rulemaking Hearing (RMH) Regulation #32: Classification and Numeric Standards for Arkansas River Basin. June 2013 last updated June 2018 RMH

4 Under the Clean Water Act, every state must adopt water quality standards to protect, maintain, and improve the quality of the nation s surface waters. These standards represent a level of water quality that will support the goal of swimmable/fishable waters. * Use classifications (Regulation #31) consist of categories of uses for state waters, including water supply, recreation, agriculture, and aquatic life. * Numeric criteria set the maximum acceptable concentrations of specific pollutants allowed in streams, lakes, and reservoirs to protect its designated uses. * Narrative criteria describe the water quality goals for all state surface waters in a list of six general statements. Narrative criteria currently exist that qualitatively describe water conditions, including sediment, excessive floating materials (e.g., algae), color, odor, etc. * Antidegradation provisions preserve existing assimilative capacity in receiving waters above and beyond that required to maintain beneficial uses.

5 WQCC split lakes and reservoirs form segments that contained streams to apply new temperature and nutrient standards. Created Fountain Creek Segments 8-11 Revised Aquatic-Life Use Classifications Fountain Creek Segment 11 changed from Cold 1 to Warm 1 Water Supply Use Classification Added to Fountain Creek Segment 4 Full suite of water supply standards was added to Fountain Creek Segment 7a Ambient standards adopted where natural of irreversible man induced conditions result in exceedance of TVS. Fountain Creek segments 2a and 2b Selenium standards

6 *Temporary Modifications Reviewed * Fountain Creek Segments 1a, 2a, 4 and 6 were not renewed Temperature temperature standards were applied to individual segments based on the expected fish species. Fountain Creek Segments 1b, 3a and 3b Cold Stream Tier I Fountain Creek Segments 1a Cold Stream Tier II Fountain Creek Segments 2a-b, 4, 5 and 6 Warm Stream II Also set temperature standards for lakes Nutrients Phased implementation approach WQCC only adopted total phosphorous and chlorophyll standards Nitrogen standards will be set for next triennial review June 2018.

7 Fountain Creek Watershed Stream segments SECTION 303(D) LIST OF IMPAIRED WATERS AND MONITORING AND EVALUATION LIST Monitoring & Evaluation Water Quality Segment Segment Description Affected Portion List Impairment Pri. COARFO01a Fountain Creek and tributaries above Monument Creek All E. coli H/ COARFO02a Fountain Creek, Monument Creek to Hwy 47 All Fe (Trec) E. coli H COARFO02b Fountain Creek from Hwy 47 to the Arkansas River All E. coli (May October) H COARFO04 All tribs to Fountain Creek, which are not on National Forest or Air Force Academy Land All E. coli H All tribs to Fountain Creek, which COARFO04 are not on National Forest or Air Force Academy Land Sand Creek Aquatic Life COARFO06 Monument Creek from National Forest to Fountain Creek All (for E. coli) E. coli (May - October) H COARFO07a Pikeview Reservoir, Willow Springs Ponds #1 and #2 Willow Springs Ponds #1 & #2 Aquatic Life Use (PCE FCA) M

8 Sources of water quality data USGS, Utilities and Districts, CDPHE, Division of Wildlife. Types of Data Collected Flow Nutrients Ammonia (Total, Dissolved) Phosphorous (Total) Orthophosphorous Nitrite + Nitrate (Dissolved) Nitrogen (Total) Physical Conductance DO PH Sediment Temperature Turbidity

9 * Biological E. coli Fish Habitat Macroinvertebrates Inorganics Hardness Fluoride Metals(both Dissolved and Total) Arsenic Boron Cadmium Calcium Copper Selenium

10 *Selenium - water quality data indicates specific areas of high selenium, usually in the presence of outcroppings of Pierre shale. *Temperature limited data to determine where the water quality impairments exist. More temperature data will be collected to determine ability to attain the standard.

11 *Nutrients - Interim stream values for nutrients (total phosphorus, total inorganic nitrogen and chlorophyll a) were adopted to protect direct use water supply, aquatic life and recreation. Sources of nutrients include wastewater treatment discharges, and agricultural and stormwater runoff. Collection of data is needed to better characterize the nutrient issue, including biological and habitat information as well as water quality data.

12 *E. Coli Several stream segments are listed for E. Coli as water quality impaired. The extent of water quality impairment must be evaluated for streams listed as impaired for E. coli, additional E. coli data collection initiated, additional finger printing to distinguish avian and other sources of E. coli sources to be controlled. *High concentrations from Monument Creek at Bijou Street (USGS Station #4905) to Fountain Creek at Janitell Road (USGS Station #5530). *Most exceedances occurred during warm months (June through September) and were lower during the cool weather months (September 16 through June 14). *Data showed that human sources rarely accounted for E. Coli observed during exceedances. Also ruminants, and pets (cats and dogs) could not have caused exceedance of the standard.

13 Segment 2a & 2b Geometric means, each station # USGS FOUNTAIN CREEK AT COLORADO SPRINGS # USGS FOUNTAIN CR BLW JANITELL RD BLW COLO. SPRINGS # USGS FOUNTAIN CREEK AT SECURITY # USGS FOUNTAIN CREEK NEAR FOUNTAIN # USGS FOUNTAIN CREEK NEAR PINON # USGS FOUNTAIN CREEK AT PUEBLO *

14 Segment 6 USGS MONUMENT C AB N.GATE BLVD AT USAF ACADEMY USGS MONUMENT CR ABV WOODMEN RD AT COLORADO SPRINGS USGS MONUMENT CREEK AT BIJOU ST. AT COLO. SPRINGS Segment 1a USGS FOUNTAIN CREEK NEAR COLORADO SPRINGS USGS FOUNTAIN CREEK BL 8TH ST., AT COLO. SPRINGS

15 Post Fire Water Quality Sampling Projects * The following sites were sampled once during a storm event: * Site ID Name * Monument Cr. above Woodmen Street * Fountain Cr. near Colorado Springs * Fountain Cr. below 8th Street * Monument Creek at Bijou Street * Fountain Cr. at Colorado Springs * Fountain Cr near Pinon Data Collection Nutrients (Regulation 85), E. Coli and Temperature GIS Mapping

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17 Peak flow at on September 13 was 305 cfs.

18 Peak Flow at on September 12, 2013 was 1,540cfs

19 Peak flow at on September 12 was 9,930 cfs.

20 Peak flow at on September 13 was 15,300 cfs.

21 Peak flow at on September 13 was 11,400 cfs.

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