Water Quality Variations and Trends in Monument and Fountain Creeks

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Median values of hardness, as calcium carbonate (fig. 8), and median concentrations of dissolved calcium (fig. 9), dissolved magnesium (fig. 10), and suspended solids (fig. 13) were larger downstream except at station 07105530 Fountain Creek below CSWWTP. Larger median concentations occurred downstream on Monument Creek probably because of wastewater effluent, tribu- tary inflow from basins that drain sedimentary formations and erosive soils, and urbanization (Edelmann 1990). Larger median concentrations occurred down- stream on Fountain Creek because of inflow from Monument Creek. The median concentrations are smaller at station 07105530 Fountain Creek below CSWWTP because of dilution, but the resulting streamflow increase from the effluent re- suspends sediments in the stream channel (Edelmann, 1990). Median nutrient concentrations (figs. 14 -19), except for nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, were largest at station 07105530 Fountain Creek below CSWWTP downstream from the wastewater- treatment plant at Colorado Springs because of the large volume of discharge from the wastewater - treatment plant (Kuhn, 1991). Median concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen (fig. 14) were larger downstream except at station 07105530 Fountain Creek below CSWWTP. The smaller concentration probably was due to the CSWWTP effluent containing small concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, which resulted in dilution. Larger concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate downstream probably result primarily from nitrification of ammonia. Median concentrations of most trace elements are larger downstream, probably because of water reuse. Median concentrations of total recoverable copper (fig. 20) and total recoverable zinc (fig. 28) were larger downstream except at station 07105905 Fountain Creek below Fountain. Median concentra- tions of total recoverable lead (fig. 23) were larger downstream except at station 07103780 Monument Creek at USAFA and at station 07105905 Fountain Creek below Fountain. Median concentrations of dissolved iron (fig. 21) were smaller downstream and concentrations of total recoverable iron (fig. 22) were larger downstream except at station 07105530 Fountain Creek below CSWWTP and then were larger again at station 07105905 Fountain Creek below Fountain. Median concentrations of dissolved manganese (fig. 24) were smaller downstream in Monument Creek except at station 07103780 Monument Creek at USAFA. Median concentrations of dissolved manganese (fig. 24) were larger downstream in Fountain Creek except at station 07106500 Fountain Creek at Pueblo. Median concentrations of total recoverable manganese (fig. 25) were larger downstream in both streams except at stations 07105530 Fountain Creek below CSWWTP and 07106500 Fountain Creek at Pueblo. Median concentrations of total recoverable nickel (fig. 26) were larger downstream except at station 07105905 Fountain Creek below Fountain and then were larger again at station 07106500 Fountain Creek at Pueblo. Median concentrations of total selenium (fig. 27) were substantially larger downstream from station 07105905 Fountain Creek below Fountain, possibly because of seleniferous beds in the shale bedrock (Cain and Edelmann, 1986). Values of median 5 -day biochemical oxygen demand (fig. 29) on Monument Creek were largest at station 07103780 Monument Creek at USAFA, which is downstream from the Palmer Lake Monument wastewater- treatment plant and were larger downstream on Fountain Creek except at station 07106500 Fountain Creek at Pueblo. Median bacterial counts (figs. 30 -32) generally were larger down- stream in Monument Creek. Median counts of fecal coliform bacteria (fig. 31) 10