HYDROLOGIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND FORMULATION OF CONCEPTUAL MODELS FOR THE CENTRAL ROARING FORK TRIBUTARIES (CRFT), PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO Phase 1 of the Development of County-wide Maps for GIS-Based Groundwater Resources Evaluation, Pitkin County, Colorado By: Dr. Kenneth E. Kolm Integral Consulting Inc. Louisville, Colorado and Paul K.M. van der Heijde Heath Hydrology, Inc. Boulder, Colorado (under subcontract with Integral Consulting Inc.) for: Pitkin County Health Rivers Board and Board of County Commissioners Colorado Contract No. 195-2010 May 25, 2011 Conceptual Models for the Central Roaring Fork Tributaries (CRFT) Study Areas Integral Consulting Inc. – page ii Contents Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 3 List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. 4 List of Figures................................................................................................................................. 4 1.0 Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Development of Conceptual Models of the CRFT Study Area ........................................... 3 2.1 Climate.................................................................................................................................. 3 2.2 Topography and Geomorphology......................................................................................... 7 2.3 Surface Water Characteristics...............................................................................................8 2.4 Hydrogeologic Framework ................................................................................................. 10 2.4.1 Regional Hydrogeologic Units .................................................................................... 12 2.4.2 Hydrogeologic Units of the CRFT Study Area............................................................ 19 2.4.3 Hydrostructural Units of the CRFT Study Area .......................................................... 21 2.5 Groundwater Flow Systems................................................................................................ 21 2.6 Groundwater System Conceptual Site Models by Tributary.............................................. 23 2.6.1 Upper Fryingpan River (UFPR)/Upper Woody Creek (WC)/Lower Hunter Creek (HC) Subsystems............................................................................................................................ 25 2.6.2 Maroon Creek (MC) Subsystem .................................................................................. 30 2.6.3 Upper Castle Creek (UCC) Subsystem........................................................................ 33 2.6.4 Middle Castle Creek (MCC) Subsystem...................................................................... 37 2.6.5 Lower Castle Creek (LCC) Subsystem........................................................................ 42 2.6.6 City of Aspen (CA) Subsystem.................................................................................... 46 2.7 Anthropogenic Influences................................................................................................... 51 2.7.1 Effects of Land use Changes on Groundwater Systems .............................................. 52 2.7.2 Mine Hydrology........................................................................................................... 53 3.0 Summary and Conclusions .....................................................................................................56 4.0 References............................................................................................................................... 57 Appendix 1 Climate Data for the Aspen, Basalt, Independence Pass and Meredith Stations, Colorado.............................................................................................................A-1 Conceptual Models for the Central Roaring Fork Tributaries (CRFT) Study Areas Integral Consulting Inc. – page iii List of Tables Table 1 Correlation of Geological and Hydrogeological Units in Pitkin County.............. 14 Table A.1. Monthly Climate Summary for Aspen, Colorado [station 050370] for period 8/1/1899 to 11/30/1979. ..................................................................... A-1 Table A.2. Monthly Climate Summary for Aspen, Colorado [station 050370] for period 1/1/1971 to 12/31/2000. ..................................................................... A-1 Table A.3. Monthly Climate Summary for Aspen 1 SW, Colorado [station 050372 for period 7/1/1980 to 9/30/2010. ....................................................................... A-2 Table A.4. Monthly Climate Summary for Aspen 1 SW, Colorado [station 050372] for period 1/1/1971 to 12/31/2000. ..................................................................... A-2 Table A.5. Monthly Climate Summary for Basalt, Colorado [station 050514] for period 7/1/1965 to 5/31/1972. ....................................................................... A-3 Table A.6. Monthly Climate Summary for Basalt, Colorado [station 050514] for period 1/1/1971 to 12/31/2000. ..................................................................... A-3 Table A.7. Monthly Climate Summary for Independence Pass, Colorado [station 054270] for period 7/1/1947 to 1/31/1980. ....................................................................... A-4 Table A.8. Monthly Climate Summary for Independence Pass, Colorado [station 054270] for period 1/1/1971 to 12/31/2000. ..................................................................... A-4 Table A.9. Monthly Climate Summary for Meredith, Colorado [station 055507] for period 8/1/1963 to 7/31/2007. ....................................................................... A-5 Table A.10. Monthly Climate Summary for Meredith, Colorado [station 055507] for period 1/1/1971 to 12/31/2000. ..................................................................... A-5 Table A.11. Monthly Climate Summary for Redstone 4 W, Colorado [station 056970] for period 6/1/1979 to 6/30/1994. ....................................................................... A-6 Table A.12. Monthly Climate Summary for Redstone 4 W, Colorado [station 056970] for period 1/1/1971 to 12/31/2000. ..................................................................... A-6 List of Figures Figure 1. Location of the Central Roaring Fork Tributaries (CRFT), Crystal River and West Sopris Creek (CRWS); Capitol and Snowmass Creek (CSC), Middle Roaring Fork (MRF), and Upper Roaring Fork (URF) Study Areas, Pitkin County, Colorado.................................................................................................................. 2 Figure 2. Average Total Monthly Precipitation, Snow Fall and Snow Depth for Basalt (station 050514), Colorado for Period 7/1/1965 – 5/31/1972 (source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada)..................... 4 Figure 3. Average Total Monthly Precipitation, Snow Fall and Snow Depth for Aspen (station 050370), Colorado for Period 8/1/1899 – 11/30/1979 (source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada)..................... 4 Figure 4. Average Total Monthly Precipitation, Snow Fall and Snow Depth for Meredith (station 055507), Colorado for Period 8/1/1963 – 7/31/2007 (source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada)..................... 5 Conceptual Models for the Central Roaring Fork Tributaries (CRFT) Study Areas Integral Consulting Inc. – page iv Figure 5. Average Total Monthly Precipitation, Snow Fall and Snow Depth for Independence Pass (station 054270), Colorado for Period 7/1/1947 – 1/31/1980 (source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada)................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 6. Comparison between the Average Total Monthly Precipitation at the Basalt, Aspen, Meredith and Independence Pass stations for the Period 1/1/1971 – 12/31/20006 (source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada)................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 7. Spatial Distribution of the Average Annual Precipitation and Location of Climate Stations in Pitkin County, Colorado (source: USDA-NRCS Data Gateway, 2005). ............................................................................................. 6 Figure 8. Topography and Surface Water in CRFT Study Area, Pitkin County, Colorado. (source: Pitkin County GIS Department, 2007)...................................................... 7 Figure 9. Streams and Watersheds in CRFT Study Area, Pitkin County, Colorado. (source: USDA-NRCS Data Gateway, 2010)....................................................................... 9 Figure 10. View of the Fryingpan River east of Basalt, Pitkin County, Colorado................... 9 Figure 11. View of Upper Castle Creek, Pitkin County, Colorado........................................ 10 Figure 12. Generalized Map Showing Regional Geographic and Geological Features......... 12 Figure 13. Generalized Geology Map (Based on Leadville 1 u 2 Degrees Quadrangle; Tweto