Upper Los Pinos Water Quality Report

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interconnectedness of all the physical and biological components of the landscape, including human communities. A community-based approach considers not only the physical characteristics of a watershed, but it also takes into account the social and economic factors associated with watershed issues. The goal of community-based watershed management is to protect and restore watershed functions while considering the variet~T of social and economic benefits of those functions. Watershed management decisions should be based on sound scientific information, both in terms of identifying problems and selecting options for addressing those problems. The scope of this report is to provide a preliminai~-investigation of the historical and available ~yater-quality data in the upper Los Pinos Riverwatershed. The newt step is to present this report and data to the community through public meetings and to discuss goals and objectives of a comprehensive watershed plan. In addition, it ~yould be best if evei~~ city; count; utility, and water district concurred yvith the development of a watershed plan. The following are some comments and suggestions for infoi7nation needs and data gaps that were recognized in the process of writing tlus report: • Water-qualitT, data collection efforts done by volunteers and school children are invaluable to the communing. These efforts are the most cost- efficient source of information and need to be supported by Federal, State, regional, and local funding sources. • State and Federal government electronic data bases are eltremely valuable to the public. Online resources are increasing every year, and political support is needed to make sure that these agencies continue to support their online data bases. • Non-profit organizations are elcellent sources of information. The San Juan KC&D, for elample, has access to hard-copy data and digital mapping information that is valuable to the community. With regards to water-quality° monitoring in the upper Los Pinos River watershed, the following needs have been identified: There ~yere no biological data available to the public at the time of the ~yriting of this report. Biological monitoring has become a standard for measurement of aquatic health and improvements ~yith regard to remedial activities. Water-quality monitoring at Vallecito Resen~oir is probably needed about four times per rear (mid- winter. before summer overfirn, during overhirn. quid after overturn). Data has been collected even- month (and sometimes ttyo times per month). and this concentration of efforts could be refocused on collecting water-quality, samples for chemical ~uialvses. Increased monitoring in streams, rivers, and high-altitude lakes is needed. Communih~ members and volunteers might consider identifying the locations of areas having elevated fecal coliform and arsenic concentrations, and enter a dialog with the communit~~ as to the sources and possible preventative alternatives for these constih~ents in ~~-°ater from streams and wells. Through community efforts and watershed group meetings, a list of important analti~tical constituents may be useful for continued monitoring. When fuh~re water-qualitT~ samples are collected by volunteers, agencies. school groups, or tribes, the same constituents could be anal~~zed. similar methods could be used to collect and filter the samples, and field measurements could be taken (such as streamflow discharge, water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved olygen. and pH). Frequent dialog behyeen the community of the upper Los Pinos River watershed and the lo~~-°er Los Pinos Ri~~°er ~yatershed can be a valuable elercise for the ~yatershed coimnunit<~. The lower ~yatershed contains communities of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, ~3•hich is a separate nation ~3°ith unique needs and concerns. All that occurs in the upper Los Pinos River ~yatershed affects the water resources of the Tribal lands. SUMMARY Water-qualit- data for the upper Los Pinos River v`-atershed were compiled from available elec- tronic and hard-copy sources. The data were entered into a spreadsheet data base, and the data were input into a geographical information system (GIS). The spreadsheet data are too extensive to include in this report; however, the data can be obtained from the San Juan Resource Conservation and Development Council (SAN Juan RC&D) in Durango, Colorado. GIS project files ~yere developed by the San Juan RC&D, and the water-quality data were displa~-ed using the GIS to use as illustrations in this report. The GIS project files also can be obtained from the San Juan RC&D. Historical water-quality data from the upper Los Pinos River watershed indicate that selected water- qualitr constituents show an improving trend over ~' ~ Southwest Hydro-Logic 31