Water Quality Variations and Trends in Monument and Fountain Creeks

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Median values of the water - quality properties and constituents were compared to the appropriate State water - quality standards. Median values of the water - quality properties and constituents were within the State standards except for the following trace-metal concentrations: dissolved manganese at Monument Creek above North Gate Boulevard at U.S. Air Force Academy and Fountain Creek above Little Fountain Creek below Fountain; total recoverable copper at Monument Creek at Pikeview and Monument Creek at Bijou Street at Colorado Springs; and total selenium at Fountain Creek at Pueblo. Occasional violations of the State water - quality standards occurred at all stations. Generally, concentrations of most water - quality properties and constitu- ents were larger downstream. Nutrient concentrations, except for nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, were largest at Fountain Creek below Janitell Road below Colorado Springs, which is downstream from the wastewater - treatment plant at Colorado Springs; the concentrations then were smaller downstream. Statistical comparisons of median values of selected water - quality properties and constituents for determining spatial trends were made among seven of the nine stations for water years 1980 through 1988. For Monument Creek, the comparisons indicated that the median concentrations of most constituents at Monument Creek at Palmer Lake were significantly different from the median concentrations at Monument Creek at Pikeview and Monument Creek at Bijou Street at Colorado Springs, which are more similar to each other. The median concentrations of most constituents at Fountain Creek near Colorado Springs, upstream from the mouth of Monument Creek, were signifi- cantly different from the median concentrations of most constituents at downstream stations on Fountain Creek, except for a few constituents. The median concentrations of most constituents at Fountain Creek at Colorado Springs, downstream from the mouth of Monument Creek, were more similar to the median concentrations of most constituents at Monument Creek at Bijou Street at Colorado Springs than to the median concentrations of most constituents at Fountain Creek near Colorado Springs; the water quality of Monument Creek has a large effect on the water quality of Fountain Creek. Water quality at Fountain Creek at Colorado Springs and Fountain Creek below Janitell Road below Colorado Springs, upstream and downstream from the Colorado Springs Wastewater- Treatment Plant, were compared. The following property and constituents were not statistically different: water tempera- ture, nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, and fecal coliform bacteria. The following properties and constituents had statistically significant increases downstream: instantaneous streamflow, specific conductance, total ammonia as nitrogen, un- ionized ammonia as nitrogen, total recoverable copper, total recoverable zinc, and 5 -day biochemical oxygen demand. The following proper- ties and constituents had statistically significant decreases downstream: pH, dissolved oxygen, suspended solids, and total recoverable iron. Time - series trends in water quality were investigated at all stations for the period of record. The significant trends varied at each station. All stations except Monument Creek above North Gate Boulevard at U.S. Air Force Academy had positive trends in instantaneous streamflow. pH, and concentra- tions of dissolved sulfate, nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, and un- ionized ammonia as nitrogen had positive trends at all stations that had a significant trend. Concentrations of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, total recover- able copper, dissolved manganese, and total recoverable nickel had negative trends at stations that had a significant trend. All stations on Monument and Fountain Creeks had significant temporal trends of at least one water - quality property or constituent. 18