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0077 <br />WATER QUALITY OF FOUNTAIN AND MONUMENT CREEKS, SOUTH- CENTRAL <br />COLORADO, WITH EMPHASIS ON RELATION OF WATER QUALITY <br />TO STREAM CLASSIFICATIONS <br />By Patrick Edelmann <br />ABSTRACT <br />The quality of water of Fountain and Monument Creeks was monitored from <br />1975 through 1983. The purpose of the monitoring program was to provide the <br />necessary data to describe the general water - quality characteristics of <br />Fountain and Monument Creeks and to evaluate the water quality of each stream <br />segment based on classifications established by the Colorado Department of <br />Health in 1982. Most of the water - quality constituents monitored during the <br />investigation have numeric water - quality standards and were evaluated accord- <br />ing to those standards. Selected water - quality data also were evaluated for <br />seasonal, temporal, and spatial variations. <br />The quality of water of Fountain and Monument Creeks changes as the water <br />leaves the mountains and flows along the Rampart Range. Concentrations of <br />dissolved solids, as represented by specific conductance, increased downstream <br />in Fountain and Monument Creeks. During the period of record, 1975 through <br />1983, the median specific conductance of Fountain Creek increased from 341 <br />microsiemens per centimeter at site F12 near Manitou Springs to 1,750 micro - <br />siemens per centimeter at site F66 at Pueblo, probably because of discharge <br />from wastewater- treatment plants and irrigation- return flows. Specific <br />conductance also increased downstream in Monument Creek, probably as a result <br />of discharge from wastewater - treatment plants, ground -water discharge, and <br />inflow from tributaries that drain densely urbanized areas. <br />Five -day biochemical oxygen demand increased downstream in Fountain and <br />Monument Creeks during 1975 through 1983. The median 5 -day biochemical oxygen <br />demand of Fountain Creek increased downstream from 1 to 28 milligrams per <br />liter primarily because of discharge from wastewater- treatment plants. Five - <br />day biochemical oxygen demand increased downstream in Monument Creek as a <br />result of discharge from wastewater - treatment plants and from nonpoint <br />sources. <br />Measurements of pH and dissolved oxygen and analyses of concentrations <br />of dissolved chloride, dissolved sulfate, and total nitrite plus nitrate as <br />nitrogen made on Upper Fountain Creek were within the values established as <br />the water - quality standards for the stream segment. Concentrations of dis- <br />solved manganese and total - recoverable copper, iron, lead, silver, and zinc <br />exceeded water - quality standards established for Upper Fountain Creek. Con- <br />centrations of dissolved manganese, total selenium, and total - recoverable <br />iron, lead, manganese, silver, and zinc increased downstream within a 3 -mile <br />stream length of Upper Fountain Creek. <br />Measurements of pH, dissolved oxygen, dissolved chloride, dissolved <br />sulfate, and total nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen made on Lower Fountain <br />Creek nearly always were within the values established as the water - quality <br />