WSP12393

• File Number: 8449.900
• Description: Bear Creek
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 1/1/1987
• Author: USACOE
• Title: Bear Creek Clean Lakes Grant Application and correspondence
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

D, SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE DATA

Appendix B provides a complete set of water quality data collected to

date on the reservoir, Due to the relative young age of the reservoir

(constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1979) a limited set of

data exists on the reservoir. The Colorado Department of Health has

been collecting data during the past year as part of the Bear Creek

Water Quality Study and will continue to monitor during the next year,

funding permitting.

The water quality monitoring program for the reservoir includes the

collection of physical, chemical and biological data at sites in the

reservoir and tributary sampling, Three sampling locations were

determined by the Health Department with two samples collected per site

at the 0-2 meter photic zone and the other a composite of the remaining

water column, Sampling was established semi-weekly from July through

September and monthly from October through June.

Major conclusions drawn from the data are:

1. The reservoir becomes stratified during the summer months with

dissolved oxygen levels dropping to 0 mg/L below 5 meters. Thermal

stratification occurs during the summer at shallow depths, often the

thermocline developes just below the surface or at depths of less than 2

meters. The thermal and oxygen stratifications are strong and the

shallow depths of occurance suggest the inflows are not mixing with the

lake water and short circuiting is occuring. This surface "sheet flow"

may be responsible, in part, for the lack of mixing and low dissolved

oxygen levels at relative shallow depths.

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