WSP09675

• File Number: 8041
• Description: 208 Clean Water Grant
• State: CO
• Date: 8/16/1982
• Author: CWCB
• Title: Quarterly Reports on the 208 Clean Water Grant for the Water Quality Control Division of the Coloradio Dept of Health
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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3740

EPA-Mineral Quality Problem

For the period of record June 1965 to May 1966, the EPA
measured a total dissolved solids load of 402,000 tons for the
entire Yampa River Basin. Man caused sources were responsible
for 46,200 tons per year and natural sources were responsible for
355,800 tons per year. The salt budget for the Yampa basin is
shown below.

TOTAL

TDS Load
(tons/year)

B,OOO
3B,000
7,000
2,000
347,000
402,000

Percent of
Total Load

Source

Springs
Irrigation
Industrial
Mine Drainage
Runoff

2.2
9.4
1.5
.5
B6.4

An abandoned coal mine located along Oak Creek downstream
from the community of Oak Creek added 2,000 tons of salt per year
to the system. The release of saline water from the lIes Dome
oil Field located south of Lloyd, Colorado was responsible for
the addition of 7,000 tons of salt per year. The remaining
portion of the total salt load caused by activities of man was
attributed to irrigated agriculture. The irrigation of 7B,100
acres along the Yampa mainstem and its tributaries and 32,000
acres along the Little Snake and its tributaries yielded a
combined total of 3B,000 tons of salt per year to the Yampa River
Basin.

Almost 110,000 tons of the salt load attributed annually to
naturally occuring sources was from natural diffuse runoff in the
Elk River, Elkhead Creek, Trout Creek, and Fortification Creek
tributaries. Natural runoff from Mancos Shale outcrop areas
along Milk Creek accounted for another 32,BOO tons per year.

-B-