Water Quality of Fountain and Monument Creeks

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00 7 to livestock that drink the water. Beneficial -use categories were assigned to stream segments based on actual uses and on potential uses as determined by water quality and geomorphology. Water - quality standards then were estab- lished for specific constituents to protect the categorized uses. The criteria for selecting numeric standards were based on current scientific evidence of effects of pollutants on domestic water supply, recreation, agriculture, and class 1 aquatic -life classifications. For class 2 aquatic - life classification, the water - quality standards were based on natural or background levels and were defined as the arithmetic mean of historic water quality data plus one standard deviation. For streams that have a multiple - use classification, the most restrictive set of water - quality standards were applied. However, water - quality standards assigned to a particular stream segment may be exceeded during temporary natural conditions, such as storm or spring runoff, drought, or when the flow is less than the annual average 7- consecutive - day flow that is expected to occur once in 10 years (Colorado Department of Health, 1982). DESCRIPTION OF STREAM - CLASSIFICATION SEGMENTS AND STREAMFLOW During the stream - classification process, Fountain and Monument Creeks were divided into five stream segments based on differences in water quality and different uses of the stream's water. For the purposes of this report, the two Fountain Creek stream segments are referred to as Upper Fountain Creek and Lower Fountain Creek (fig. 2). Monument Creek was divided into three stream segments. However, the stream segment upstream from Palmer Lake is located on U.S. Defense Department property and was not studied during this investigation. The other two stream segments are referred to in this report as Upper Monument Creek and Lower Monument Creek (fig. 2). Upper Fountain Creek Upper Fountain Creek comprises a 15 -mi stream segment upstream from the confluence with Monument Creek (fig. 2) and has been classified by the Colorado Department of Health (1982) for class 2 recreation, class 1 Cold- water aquatic life, domestic water supply, and agricultural uses. Associated with these classifications are numerical water - quality standards for specific water - quality constituents (table 1). Flow in Upper Fountain Creek originates near Woodland Park (fig. 2) where it is initially comprised of effluent from the Woodland Park Wastewater Treat- ment Plant. As the stream flows southeastward from Woodland Park through a steep - sloping canyon to Manitou Springs, it receives most of its streamflow from tributaries and reservoirs that drain a part of the surrounding Rampart Range and the national forest. With the exception of a few small communities located along the stream, the drainage area upstream from Manitou Springs is undeveloped. From Manitou Springs to the confluence with Monument Creek, Upper Fountain Creek flows through and drains residential, commercial, and industrial areas of Manitou Springs and a part of Colorado Springs. In addition to surface -water drainage, the stream in this reach receives some ground -water discharge from the alluvium (Livingston and others, 1976a, p. 65). The streamflow decreases in this reach due to diversion for the city of Colorado Springs. 5