BTWF Newsletter 2017
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
B I G T H O M P S O N W A T E R S H E D N E W S 2017 | NEWSLETTER OF THE BIG THOMPSON WATERSHED FORUM W W W . B T W A T E R S H E D . O R G C O N T E N T S I N T H I S I S S U E Hello Forum stakeholders and watershed community members. We’re pleased to share some of the highlights of the past year and a half at the Big Thompson Watershed Forum. The Forum continued its robust water quality monitoring and assessment of the Big Thompson River and its major tributaries in 2016-2017. We wish to thank our major and minor contributors, our Board of Directors, our staff, and all of our stakeholders and individuals who help sustain the Forum and allow us to continue our mission to support the protection and improvement of water quality in the Big Thompson Watershed. W A T E R Q U A L I T Y M O N I T O R I N G A N D A S S E S S M E N T USGS Cooperative Monitoring Program (pg. 2) In Memoriam: Susan Hartley, USGS (1964-2017) (pg. 3) 2015 Big Thompson River Water Quality Summary Report (pg. 4) Highway 34: Big Thompson Canyon (pg. 6) Volunteer Monitoring Program, 1997-2015 (pg. 7) E D U C A T I O N A N D O U T R E A C H 2017 BTWF Watershed Conference (pg. 8) Children’s Water Festivals (pg. 9) Annual Waterway Cleanup (pg. 10) BTWF Environmental Scholarship (pg. 10) F O R U M U P D A T E S Board of Directors (pg. 11) Staff (pg. 12) Financial Contributors (pg. 12) Forum Mission (pg. 13) Take Action (pg. 13) W A T E R Q U A L I T Y M O N I T O R I N G A N D A S S E S S M E N T USGS COOPERATIVE Annual review and evaluation of these data provides the opportunity to identify MONITORING PROGRAM water quality issues or improvements over time and in specific sections of the Through the Forum’s Cooperative Monitoring Program, the U.S. river. Geological Survey (USGS) conducts water quality sampling, with analyses completed by the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory, Fort The Forum’s Joint Funding Agreement Collins Water Quality Laboratory, and Loveland Water Quality with the USGS provides for monthly Laboratory. The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (Northern sampling of 15 sites in the Big Thompson Water) also conducts monitoring in the C-BT system canals on the East River Watershed. Sample sites are and West Slopes and provides these data to the Forum. located along the length of the river from the headwaters site (M10) within This Cooperative Monitoring Program represents the core data that are Rocky Mountain National Park, to a site collected and analyzed to assess the status of the Big Thompson River. located just upstream of the confluence of the Big Thompson and South Platte Rivers (VM05). In addition to the 12 mainstem sites, three other sites are located on each of the main tributaries to the Big Thompson River, including the North Fork Big Thompson River (T10), Buckhorn Creek (T20), and the Little Thompson River (VT05). The USGS Cooperative Monitoring Program enables us to develop a comprehensive picture of the water quality in the Big Thompson River, as summarized in our annual and five-year reports. We wish to thank our cooperative partners (Cities of Fort Collins, Greeley, and Loveland; Northern Water, and the Tri-Districts/Soldier Canyon Filter Plant) and the USGS staff for their financial contributions and hard work. USGS hydrologic technicians collect samples from the Big Thompson River. P A G E 2 M A P O F C O O P E R A T I V E P R O G R A M S A M P L E S I T E S I N M E M O R I A M SUSAN HARTLEY, USGS (1964-2017) The Forum is sad to announce the passing of Susan (Sue) Hartley on June 10, 2017. Sue was a hydrologic technician with the U.S. Geological Survey and served as the Forum’s primary contact for the USGS Cooperative Monitoring Program for more than a decade. Sue’s efforts were instrumental in the comprehensive collection and validation of much of the data we use at the Forum. She not only coordinated and participated in water sampling efforts, she also knew the river and the associated data better than just about anyone. She was always more than happy to share her knowledge to the benefit of the Big Thompson River and those who depend on it. More importantly, she was a friend to all who had the good fortune to meet her. She will be greatly missed. P A G E 3 2015 BIG THOMPSON RIVER WATER QUALITY SUMMARY REPORT With the guidance of the BTWF Science and Monitoring Committee (Judy Billica, Northern Water; Al Paquet, CH2M; and Jill Oropeza, City of Fort Collins), the Forum prepared a water quality report to summarize key data collected in the Big Thompson River in 2015 and compare it to the previous five years of data. Andy Fayram, the Forum's monitoring program manager, is currently working on the 2016 annual report, which will be available at the Forum's Watershed Conference on November 1, 2017. Based on an overall evaluation of water quality parameters collected in 2015 and compared to data collected from 2010-2014, water quality in the Big Thompson River was generally good. This conclusion is based on an examination of data from water samples collected at 27 sites throughout 2015 by the USGS and volunteers as part of the USEPA Volunteer Monitoring Program. U P P E R W A T E R S H E D Generally, water quality in the upper watershed of the Big Thompson River was very good. This conclusion is not surprising given the geology, lack of development, and absence of large- scale disturbances in this portion of the watershed. Concentrations of metals and nutrients, as well as Escherichia coli ( E . c o l i ) levels, were all very low. L O W E R W A T E R S H E D The lower watershed is characterized by a combination of urban and agricultural land uses, alluvial groundwater, sedimentary geology, and the presence of wastewater treatment plant effluent. Flow is generally lower in this portion of the watershed due to the City of Loveland water treatment plant intake and irrigation ditch diversions. Land use patterns and wastewater treatment plant effluent result in higher nutrient and E . c o l i levels than are present in the upper watershed. In addition, the underlying geology of the lower watershed includes Pierre Shale, which is a source of selenium and sulfate, This graph shows how water quality parameters (phosphorus in this case) resulting in elevated levels of these typically change from the upper watershed to the lower watershed. The parameters in this portion of the river. red dot represents the median value for 2015, and the blue boxes represent the range of values from each river section between 2010 and 2014. P A G E 4 C O N T I N U E D : 2 0 1 5 W A T E R Q U A L I T Y S U M M A R Y R E P O R T T R I B U T A R I E S The main tributaries of the Big Thompson River are the North Fork of the Big Thompson River, Buckhorn Creek, and the Little Thompson River. Water quality in the tributaries is generally similar to that of the Big Thompson River in the sections where these tributaries enter the mainstem. However, each tributary does differ in some ways when compared to the mainstem. In 2015, the North Fork had slightly elevated mercury, the Little Thompson had elevated sulfate and E . c o l i , and Buckhorn Creek had elevated total organic carbon levels relative to the mainstem. O V E R A L L Meteorological conditions caused relatively warm water temperatures and slightly elevated flow in 2015. Although some parameters of interest exceeded levels associated with good water quality, Most parameters of interest were at levels that suggest good water quality in 2015, when compared to the reference period of 2010-2014. Copper levels were occasionally elevated, but median values were relatively low in 2015 compared to the reference period of 2010- 2014. Similarly, virtually all parameters that reflect nutrient availability conducive to the growth of algae were relatively low in 2015 when compared to the reference period. Hopefully, the relatively low level of nutrients is indicative of a trend that will continue. Selenium levels seem to be relatively high, particularly in the lower river, but these high values are the result of the bedrock geology of this portion of the river (Pierre shale), which is rich in selenium. It is unclear the degree to which elevated levels of selenium affect the aquatic communities of the lower river. Developing a deeper understanding of the relationship between the aquatic communities in the lower portion of the river and selenium levels would clarify the need to meet or adjust selenium water quality standards in this portion of the river. E . c o l i levels were also relatively high in 2015, particularly in the lower portion of the mainstem and in the Little Thompson River.