8227

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8227
• Author: U.S. Geological Survey.
• Title: The Upper Colorado River National Water-Quality Assessment Program Surface-Water-Monitoring Network.
• USFW Year: 1996.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

DESCRIPTION OF BASIC FIXED SITES

The NA WQA program refers to the network of surface-
water-quality sampling sites that describe current water-quality
conditions as basic fixed sites. Water-quality conditions are
measured at the basic fixed sites for a minimum two-year
period.

The NA WQA basic-fixed-site network consists of
integrator and indicator sites. Integrator basic fixed sites
represent large subbasins in the study unit. The water-quality
characteristics at these sites are integrators of many land uses
and water-quality impacts (example, Gunnison River near
Grand Junction).

Indicator basic fixed sites represent selected land uses and
water-quality impacts. Indicator sites represent each of the
major environmental settings or water-quality issues of a study
unit (example, East River below Cement Creek). Special types
of indicator sites are reference sites that represent smaller basins
minimally impacted by land use. Reference sites are in rela-
tively undisturbed areas and represent background conditions
(example, Colorado River below Baker Gulch).

EX)'LANATION

. - Basin Boundary
"'9 Basic Fixed Site and Number
(See table below)

40 MILES
I

20
I
I I
20 40 KILOMETERS

Upper Colorado River study unit basic-fixed-site network

U.S. Geological Minimum
Drainage area basin Maximum basin
Site name and number on map Survey site Site type (square miles) elevation elevation
identifier (feet) (feet)
Colorado River near Colorado-Utah 09163500 Main-stem 17,843 4,325 14,270.
State line (I) integrator
Colorado River near Cameo (2) 09095500 Main-stem 8,050 4,813 14,270
integrator
Colorado River at Dotsero (3) 09070500 Main-stem 4,394 6,130 14,270
integrator
Gunnison River near Grand Junction (4) 09152500 Main-stem 7,928 4,628 14,265
integrator
Gunnison River below Gunnison Tunnel (5) 09128000 Main-stem 3,965 6,526 14,265
integrator
Gunnison River at County Road 32 (6) 383103106594200 Main-stem 2,128 7,570 14,265
Integrator
East River below Cement Creek (7) 09112200 Indicator 238 8,006 14,265
Gore Creek at mouth near Minturn (8) 090665 IO Indicator 102 7,730 13,357
Uncompahgre River near Ridgway (9) 09146200 Indicator 149 6,878 14,150
French Gulch near Breckenridge (10) 09046530 Indicator 11 9,485 13,679
Reed Wash near Mack (11) 09153290 Indicator 16 4,505 4,990
Dry Creek near Begonia Road (12) 09149480 Indicator 175 5,215 9,680
Dry Fork at upper station near DeBeque (13) 09095300 Reference 97 5,385 8,658
Colorado River below Baker Gulch (14) 09010500 Reference 53 8,750 12,940