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4.2 Hydrologic Factors <br />This section contains information on the hydrology and water <br />quality of peatlands. It discusses the source, storage, <br />discharge, and chemistry of water in peatlands. It is based on <br />the observation of hydrologic features at peat sites, an analysis <br />of water samples collected, and a review of literature sources. <br />4.2.1 Hydrology of excavated and non - excavated peatlands <br />The hydrology of Colorado peatlands is similar to that of <br />peatlands found in other regions. The important water sources <br />include surface and ground water flow. The majority of Colorado <br />peatlands are supported by ground water sources. The fact that <br />ground water usually contains more dissolved nutrients than <br />either precipitation or surface flow, explains why most Colorado <br />peatlands are fens rather than bogs. As discussed in section 1.2 <br />fens receive nutrient rich water, have a higher pH, and greater <br />species richness than do bogs. Surface flow in Colorado <br />peatlands is mostly a spring snowmelt phenomena (Sturges 1968a). <br />Because the regional ground water source delivers water to <br />the fen at a relatively constant rate, stream discharges from a <br />ground water fen appear very uniform throughout the year. Verry <br />and Boelter (1978) found that a ground water fen in Northern <br />Minnesota exhibited a constant rate of flow about 70 percent of <br />• 33 <br />