Upper Yampa River Watershed Group

WRSF Grant Request

CHARACTERIZATION OF STREAMFLOW, SUSPENDED SEDIMENT, AND NUTRIENTS IN THE UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN Upper Yampa River Watershed Group • The UYRWG is focused on Watershed Health • The 2016 Watershed Plan identified the increased prolific algae occurrences, in some cases toxic blue-green algae, as an issue that needs further analysis

Nutrients, Sediment & Algae • Excess nutrients such as nitrogen & phosphorus can lead to excessive algae blooms resulting in negative impacts in the watershed Nutrients, Sediment & Algae • Excessive algal blooms can deplete oxygen & potentially harbor toxins that can have an effect on aquatic & human health Project Team

• Coordination: Upper Yampa River Watershed Group/Technical Committee • Fiscal Agent: Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District • Technical Analysis: U.S. Geologic Survey Partners/Supporting Groups • City of Steamboat Springs • Water & Sanitation District • Parks & Wildlife (Stagecoach Reservoir) • Trout Unlimited • U.S. Forest Service • Yampa River System Legacy Partnership • Friends of Yampa Who • The USGS will perform the analysis • The UYRWG will oversee and coordinate the project • The UYWCD will act as fiscal sponsor • Stakeholders will be engaged throughout the process

Compatibility with the Basin Implementation Plan

• Section 1.2.8 of the YWG Basin BIP states “Water quality and quantity are intrinsically linked in that quality directly affects the value of a water right for all uses: M&I, agriculture, recreation, and the environment.” • The BIP further encourages and supports water quality protection and monitoring programs in the sub-basins of the YWG through watershed groups, municipalities, land management agencies and other efforts (BIP pg. 1-11).

Compatibility with the State Plan

• The Water Quality section of Chapter 7 of the Colorado Water Plan refers to Executive Order D 2013-005 which states “Colorado’s water quantity and quality questions can no longer be thought of separately, each impacts the other and our State water policy should address them conjunctively”. • Environmental and recreational needs encompass good water quality and a healthy watershed. Delivering water that is of good water quality, during times of plenty as well as times of shortage, is a priority for all aspects of administration. • As stated in the measurable objectives chapter of the Colorado Water Plan, “environment and recreation are too critical to Colorado’s brand not to have robust objectives: a strong Colorado environment is critical to the economy and way of life.”

Algae issues in Western Colorado (background photo: Stagecoach Reservoir August 2017)

White R. abv Coal Creek July 2016

Colorado River at Cameo Toxic Algae in September 2018 September 2018 Objectives

• To better understand how nutrient and sediment loading is impacting watershed health and related water uses in the Yampa River Basin – All water supply projects in the YWG basin will require project components to ensure that proposed activities meet State water quality standards and do not degrade water quality through the Section 401 WQ Certification process

• The proposed study will provide valuable data analysis available to anyone in the basin to use in water quality studies Why

• Although baseline water quality data is available from USGS sampling stations throughout the basin, correlating nutrient and sediment data with stream flow data is needed to better understand and evaluate impacts

• Understanding these dynamics will help water managers and users develop mitigation strategies to protect and sustain water supplies, consumptive and non-consumptive uses, and watershed health going forward. How

• Concentration and load calculations will be made. Source areas for a given water-quality constituent will be evaluated • Comparisons of results among the 12 sample sites throughout the basin will help to determine what reaches have the highest concentrations and loads and when they typically occur

Methodology

• Trends in streamflow and water-quality data will be assessed using trend Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) methods (Hirsch and others, 2010; Moyer, 2012). The method is designed to provide internally consistent estimates of the actual history of concentrations and loads as well as histories that eliminate the influence of year-to-year variations in streamflow Preliminary data Stagecoach Reservoir

• The reservoir will be evaluated for selected constituents including total dissolved solids, nutrients, field parameters and any available data associated with algal species (including blue green algae) and algal toxicity. The data will also be compared to historical data collected in Stagecoach just after the reservoir filled in the early 1990’s (Tobin, 1995) 1. Characterization Measurable Outcomes of streamflow timing, rate, and usage for the UYRB 2. Identification of trends in streamflow, suspended sediment, and nutrient loads/ concentrations 3. Development of a mass balance for source ID and land use assessment

Measurable Outcomes

4) Analysis of climatic impacts to the region upstream of Stagecoach Reservoir and possible implications within Stagecoach Reservoir Measurable Outcomes

• Review of opportunities to minimize / mitigate concerns • Findings from this UYRB study may also be pertinent to other regions Collaboration Stakeholders / Beneficiaries: • Water users • Water Managers • Government Agencies • Public At- large

Funds Requested

Total Project Cost $144,500 (2-year project starting in spring 2019) USGS Cash Contribution $47,076 Local Stakeholder Contributions* $20,000 WRSF Ask $77,424

*Pending

Thank you for your consideration!

Contact Information: Andy Rossi, District Engineer, UYWCD [email protected] 970.871.1035 Lyn Halliday, Upper Yampa River Watershed Coordinator [email protected] 970.879.6323 Ken Leib, U.S. Geologic Survey, Western Colorado Office Chief [email protected] 970.628.7150