Water News: Southeastern Colorado Water District Volume 1 Issue 11

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Have Precipitation and Streamflow in Fountain Creek Watershed Changed Over Time? Concerns that flooding and associated streambank erosion may be worsening over time, and that increases in precipitation, especially during the 1990's, may be exacerbating the problem, resulted in a study to determine whether precipitation and streamflow in the Fountain Creek watershed has changed over time. The study conducted by USGS indicated that no significant trends were detected in precipitation or streamflow prior to 1977. (TOUR, Continued from page 3) Twin Lakes. After going through the powerplant, the water will flow into Twin Lakes. Next on the itinerary was Sugar Loaf Dam and Turquoise Lake, located east of the Continental Divide in Lake County, five miles west of Leadville. Then to the Boustead Tunnel Outlet one of the highlights of the tour. This time of the year the east portal is visible due to the absence of water. Continuing to the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel (LMDT) where Jenelle Stefanic educated us on the treatment of water and informed us, "It's all for the fish." The primary concern is the removal of zinc, manganese, lead cadmium and other metals that exist in the During 1977 through 1999, increasing trends were detected in precipitation at the Ruxton Park and Pueblo sites. No trends were detected in precipitation at the Colorado Springs and Fountain sites. Since 1977, increasing trends in at least one high- streamflow statistic were detected at all six sites; most sites had increasing trends in numerous high - streamflow statistics. In the reach from Nevada Street to Security, the average increase in streamflow was about five times greater than the other reaches tunnel flow. Dinner at the Boomtown Brew Pub in Leadville where State Representative Carl Miller and Senator Ken Chlouber dropped by. Carbondale was our stopping point for that night and the entire crew rested well. The drive through Basalt the next morning to Ruedi Reservoir was even more brilliant than the day before. The first stop was a top Ruedi Reservoir Dam where the Fryingpan - Arkansas Project began with the construction of Ruedi Dam and Reservoir in 1964. Ruedi provides storage for replacement and regulation of water for the western slope users as well as The North and South Side Collection Systems, which was our next stop. This collection system of diversion structures collects the high mountain run off and conveys the diverted waters into the inlet portal of the Boustead Tunnel. No tour is complete without a couple of mishaps, we managed to flatten not only one but two tires. At the Boustead Tunnel Inlet we 4 indicating that, on average, the intervening drainage area for the reach between Nevada Street and Security contributed more total flow and more flow per square mile than any of the other drainage areas studied. Analysis of low streamflow statistics generally indicated that low streamflows had increased throughout most of the watershed, particularly since the early 1980's. The average annual increase in streamflow for the low streamflow statistics generally was from 5 to 10 times greater in the reach from Nevada Street to Security than the other reaches. Written by Pat Edelman, USGS ventured down into the heart of the water collection system to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sixteen diversion structures on the Western Slope are used to divert water into the Project collection system. The system includes eight tunnels with a combined length of 21.5 miles. The five mile -long Boustead Tunnel conveys the water from the North and South Collection Systems under the Continental Divide to Turquoise Lake. We took the ten -mile drive over Hagerman Pass stopping at the Continental Divide for a snack break. Hagerman Pass is just less than 12,000 miles above sea level. The tour ended around 8:30 p.m. as we arrived at the District office.