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Utah'shistory over the past several hundred years and the availabilityof water correlate closely and help to explain its past.Water influenced the way of life of the Native Americansand when the Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt LakeValley in July 1847 the availability of water would determinetheir method of colonizing the region. Out of necessity, pioneersadopted the concept of the prior appropriation doctrine, which fundamentalprinciple is first in time, first in right. Much ofthe early administration and development of water in Utah wasdone under cooperative irrigation systems. Initially the State Engineer hadlimited power and authority to only measure stream flow, approveplans for dams and assist in resolving...
Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Conference Citation; Tags: ASCE
TheCentral Utah Water Conservancy District (District) is a political subdivisionof the State of Utah originally charged with managing andoperating the Central Utah Project, a federally funded water project.The District covers 10 counties of Utah and provides culinaryand secondary water to a wide range of communities andwater districts within these counties. They are primarily a waterwholesaler and provide water to communities and other water districts.They operate several dams, reservoirs, canals, pipelines, tunnels, and watertreatment plants. In 2005, the District opted to purchase about42,000 acre-feet of groundwater rights, 23 existing wells, pipelines, apump station and other associated assets made available...
Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Conference Citation; Tags: ASCE
TheState of Colorado's Stream Simulation Model (StateMod) is an integralcomponent of the Colorado Decision Support Systems effort. The StateModmodel is a generic water resource model capable of simulatingstream diversions, instream flow demands, well pumping, reservoir operations andriver flows on a monthly or daily basis for anystream system. Fully developed and calibrated StateMod models represent alldirect flow and storage water rights and reservoir operations inthe following river basins: Upper Colorado River and Gunnison Riverbasins, White River and Yampa River basins, San Juan Riverand Dolores River basins, and Rio Grande basin in Coloradoand the Bear River basin in Wyoming. This paper willprovide engineers,...
Thehigh demand for water, the recent multiyear drought (1999–2007), andprojections of global warming have raised questions about the long-termsustainability of water supply in the southwestern United States. Inthis study, the potential effects of specific levels of atmosphericwarming on water-year streamflow in the Colorado River basin areevaluated using a water-balance model, and the results are analyzedwithin the context of a multi-century tree-ring reconstruction (1490–1998) ofstreamflow for the basin. The results indicate that if futurewarming occurs in the basin and is not accompanied byincreased precipitation, then the basin is likely to experience periodsof water supply shortages more severe than those...
The Colorado River Basin, particularly the lower basin, is facing future water shortages and a growing salinity level. Reductions in consumptive use and improvements in water quality in the upper basin would be desirable from the lower basin viewpoint. Whether such changes would be desirable from the upper basin viewpoint would depend on the methods used to accomplish such change, the incidence of costs of these methods, and the extent to which compensation might be paid. The more recent emergence of huge potential energy-related demands for water simply increases consumptive uses and salinity problems. Such developments increase the importance of finding additional steps in the upper basin for reducing salt and...
Developmentof water resources in the Colorado River Basin is complicatedby, among other things, the fact that the river containsfour native fish species listed as endangered under the EndangeredSpecies Act (ESA). To address the issues related to resourcedevelopment and compliance with the ESA, the states of Colorado,Utah and Wyoming have joined with the U.S. Department ofInterior, Western Area Power Administration, and representatives of the environmentaland water development communities, to form the Recovery Implementation Programfor Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin (RecoveryProgram). The purpose of the Recovery Program is to facilitaterecovery of the listed fishes, a goal greater than theavoidance...
Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Conference Citation; Tags: ASCE
Withthe exception of our neighbor to the west, Nevada, Utahreceives less annual average precipitation (approximately 13 inches) than anyof the other 50 States. The average rainfall for theUnited States is approximately 30 inches per year. As aresult, water problems and solutions have always played an importantrole in Utah. To assist in providing solutions to state,national, and international water problems and to develop a world-classfacility for water research, plans began as early as 1949to construct a water research facility at Utah State University.Through funding provided by the Utah State Legislature, National ScienceFoundation, and the National Institutes of Health, the Utah WaterResearch Laboratory was completed...
Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Conference Citation; Tags: ASCE
An instream water temperature model has been developed, verified , validated, and applied by the Instream Flow and Aquatic Systems Group (IFG). Using readily available hydrometeorological data, the model predicts average daily water temperature and diurnal fluctuations within a stream network. Various solution techniques are available ranging from desktop calculator programs designed for simple applications to a sophisticated computer program designed for complex systems, large data volumes, or repetitive applications. The application of the model and possible interpretations of its results are discussed with respect to two endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Complete documentation for the...
Geological, hydrological, and geochemical information synthesized in a Geographic Information System (GIS) for water and rock surrounding South and Middle Forks of Mineral Creek, northwest of Silverton, Colorado, was analyzed to distinguish between the natural and the mining-related sources of metals to surface waters in the watershed. An important natural source of metals to surface water emanates from a porphyry molybdenum deposit south and upslope from the Middle Fork of Mineral Creek. Interaction of surface and ground water with fractured, altered rocks and permeable, Quaternary-age surficial deposits produces downstream water quality that does not meet current State of Colorado water quality standards for metals...
Colorado’s Lake Creek watershed hosts natural acid rock drainage that significantly impacts surface water, streambed sediment, and aquatic life. The source of the ARD is a group of iron-rich springs that emerge from intensely hydrothermally altered, unexploited, low-grade porphyry copper mineralization in the Grizzly Peak Caldera. Source water chemistry includes pH of 2.5 and dissolved metal concentrations of up to 277 mg/L aluminum, 498 mg/L iron, and 10 mg/L copper. From the hydrothermally altered area downstream for 27 kilometers to Twin Lakes Reservoir, metal concentrations in streambed sediment are elevated and the watershed experiences locally severe adverse impacts to aquatic life due to the acidic, metal-laden...
We conducted a field experiment to assess effects of simulated above-average fall and spring precipitation on monoculture performance and competitive relations of the exotic annual grass Bromus tectorum and the native bunchgrass Stipa hymenoides in southeastern Utah. Between 1 October 1997 and 31 May 1998, "wet" plots received 239 mm and "dry" plots received 119 mm of water representing 175 and 87 percent of average precipitation, respectively. In monoculture, added water increased fall Bromus establishment by a factor of 1.6 but did not affect fall or winter growth. Added water adversely affected Bromus growth during early spring, but enhanced growth as soils dried during mid-spring. Overall, Bromus shoot production...
One of the greatest uncertainties in global environmental change is predicting changes in feedbacks between the biosphere and atmosphere that could present hazards to current earth system function. Terrestrial ecosystems, and in particular forests, exert strong controls on the global carbon cycle and influence regional hydrology and climatology directly through water and surface energy budgets. Widespread, rapid, drought- and infestation-triggered tree mortality is now emerging as a phenomenon affecting forests globally and may be linked to increasing temperatures and drought frequency and severity. We demonstrate the link between climate-sensitive tree mortality and risks of altered earth system function though...
The upper Colorado River system, herein defined as the major tributaries upstream from Lake Powell, includes the Colorado River, Green River, San Juan River, Gunnison River, Dolores River, White River and other tributaries (Figure 1). Lake Powell, created by impoundment of the Colorado River system, by Glen Canyon Dam, has been described as a warm monomictic reservoir [1] although it shows meromictic properties [2] with a distinct chemocline between 50 and 75 meters. The annual average flows (13.8 x 109m3/yr) from major tributaries result in an average detention period of 2.5 yr. including evaporation losses of 570 x 106m tyro There has been substantial research conducted on the Lake Powell system including a major...
Keeping your seed head above water – EPA’s research on the effects of sea level rise on sea grasses and emergent marshes in the Pacific Northwest, credited to Loiselle, R., published in 2010. Published in Coastal Wetlands Data and Information Workshop. April 19-20, in 2010.
Soil responses to human trampling, biking, and off-road motor vehicle traffic were quantitatively investigated in a blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima Torr.) shrubland in Kyle Canyon of the Spring Mountains in southern Nevada. Soil compaction, bulk density, and temperature increased significantly, while soil moisture, organic matter, and percent pore space (macropore) decreased in disturbed (compacted) areas compared to adjacent undisturbed areas. Among disturbed soils, motor vehicle trails and parking lots had a significantly greater compaction, higher bulk density, and a lower percent pore space compared to human hiking/biking trails. Water infiltration and area of water spread (surface water runoff) were an interactive...
The upper Colorado River system is the habitat of several endangered fish: Kendall Warm Springs dace, Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, and bonytail chub. The single most important factor contributing to the decline of these species has been the construction and operation of dams and reservoirs, which have effected flow, temperature, chemistry, biota, and migration routes. Water depletion amounting to about 25% of the total has also had similar effects, particularly by eliminating the backwater nursery areas. A predicted decrease in agricultural use and increase in energy development use would decrease the amount of used irrigation water percolating back into the groundwater and streams. In addition, water allocated...
Wedelineated natural and oil-field salinity sources that degrade water qualityin the upper Colorado River (west Texas) andPetronila Creek (Texascoast) by combining multifrequency airborne EM measurements of apparent groundconductivity with chemical analyses of surface water at key streamlocations. To reduce the cost of high-resolution airborne surveying oversuch large areas, we first flew along the stream axesand then examined preliminary results in the field to identifylikely salinized stream segments. We then flew more detailed surveysover these areas rather than over the entire basin. Stream-axisEM data also helped identify water-sampling locations upstream and downstreamfrom each salinized segment. We used these...
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Seasonal variation of metal concentrations in the upper Animas River watershed of Colorado may strongly influence toxic effects of stream water to aquatic biota. Loadings of dissolved metals to the upper Animas River and tributaries are greatest during summer, during high stream discharge from snowmelt and monsoonal rains, but adverse effects on stream biota may be greater during winter low-flow periods, when concentrations of dissolved metals are greatest. We evaluated the toxicity of stream water from four sites to fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and amphipods (Hyalella azteca) in late summer 1998 and late winter 1999. Stream water was more toxic in winter than in summer, consistent with greater concentrations...
Natural and mining-related dissolved-constituent concentrations need to be distinguished in a water- shed affected by abandoned mines to prioritize subbasins for remediation and to assist with the establish- ment of water-quality standards. The oxygen isotopes of dissolved sulfate can be used to distinguish betweennaturalandmining-relatedsourcesofdissolvedconstituents. Severalmethodsemployingtheoxy- gen isotopes of dissolved sulfate can be used to determine the relative amounts of natural and mining- related dissolved constituents in water: (1) the isotope-dilution equation for simple mixing zones (two sources and one receiving stream); (2) the isotope mass-balance equation for streams receiving dissolved sulfate...
The potential influence of changing climate on the persistence of native salmonids “at risk�: Linking fine scale analysis to decision support, credited to Muhlfeld, C., published in 2010. Published in USFS Region 1 Annual Water Resources Meeting, Missoula, Montana, 3 March 2010, in 2010.
map background search result map search result map Seasonal variation in toxicity of streams affected by acid mine drainage Seasonal variation in toxicity of streams affected by acid mine drainage