1004 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

~ QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF STREAMFLOW IN THE WHITE RIVER BASIN, COLORADO AND UTAH By Jeanne M. Boyle, Kenneth J. Covay, and Daniel P. Bauer ABSTRACT The water quality and flow of existing streams in the White River basin, located in northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah, are adequate for present uses, but future development (such as energy) may affect stream quality and quantity. This paper describes present conditions as a baseline to enable planners to allocate available water and to measure changes in quantity and quality of water in the future. The White River basin contains extens i ve energy resources cons i st i ng of oil, natura 1 gas, coal, and oil shale. Large quantities of water will be required for energy-resource development and associated municipal and industrial uses. An average of 70 percent of the annual flow in the Whi te Ri ver occurs during May, June, and July as a result of snowmelt runoff. The annual flow in Piceance Creek, a tributary to the White River, has a more uniform distri- bution throughout each year. The 7-day, 10-year low-now discharges per square mile and the I-day, 25-year high-flow discharges per square mile are 1 arger in the eastern part of the basin than in the western part. Flow- duration curves indicate that high flows in the White River and the North and South Fork White Rivers result mainly from snowmelt runoff and that base flow is sustained throughout the year by ground-water discharge from the alluvial and bedrock aquifers. Tributaries to the White River have high flows result i ng from snowme lt runoff and thunderstorm activity. The base fl ow is sustained primarily by discharge from springs. Water type vari es in the bas in; however, ca 1 ci um and sodi um are the domi nant ly occurri ng cations and sulfate and bi carbonate are the domi nant ly occurri ng ani ons. Computed total annual di sso 1 ved- so 1 ids loads in the Whi te River range from 31,800 tons per year in the North Fork White River to 284,000 tons per year at the mouth. These dissolved-solids loads were estimated using a relation with daily discharge but also can be estimated using a relation with specific conductance. Oil-shale development could change the dissolved-solids loads and concentrations in the basin. A 10-percent increase to a 14-percent decrease of the dissolved-solids load could result at the mouth of the Whi te Ri ver near Ouray, Utah. Thi s corresponds to a 5-percent increase to a 10-percent decrease in dissolved-solids concentration. The seasonal pattern of stream temperatures was found to fit a harmonic curve. 1