BOARD01010

• Board Meeting Date: 11/19/2003
• Description: CF Section - Changes to Existing Non-Reimbursable Investments - Fountain Creek Transit Loss Study
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
CENTRAL REGION
COLORADO DISTRICT

Preliminary Proposal August 2003

TITLE:

Development of methods to determine transit losses for return flows of imported water in Monument Creek
between Monument and the confluence with Fountain Creek in Colorado Springs and in Fountain Creek
between Woodland Park and Nevada Street in Colorado Springs, EI Paso and Teller Counties, Colorado.

BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM:

In 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a study, in cooperation with the City of Colorado
Springs (CCS), to develop a method to estimate transit losses along Fountain Creek for return flows of
transmountain water discharged into Fountain Creek at the CCS wastewater treatment facility (WWTF)
downstream to the confluence with the Arkansas River at Pueblo (Kuhn, 1988). The beginning point for the
transit-loss study was at USGS streamflow-gaging station 07105500 Fountain Creek at Colorado Springs,
which is located at Nevada Street; the station is about 2 miles downstream from the confluence of
Monument Creek with Fountain Creek and about 0.6 miles upstream from the WWTF. The study (Kuhn,
1988) resulted in development of an accounting program to compute transit losses on a daily basis for the
transmountain return flows; the accounting program, which has been revised several times, is described in
Kuhn and others (1998).

Currently (2003), the CCS is in the process of developing a new comprehensive water reclamation facility
adjacent to Monument Creek in the northern part of Colorado Springs that will receive some of the
wastewater currently discharged at the downstream WWTF. It is likely that some of the wastewater
discharged into Monument Creek at the new northern reclamation facility will consist of transmountain return
flows, as well as return flows from other imported water sources. Under Colorado water law, imported water,
including transmountain water, can be used and reused to the point of extinction. Re-use of any imported
water discharged into Monument Creek at the new reclamation facility may involve transportation of the
imported return flows in Monument Creek downstream to some undetermined location; this transportation
will require estimation of transit losses.

In addition, a number of other municipal entities along Monument Creek, such as Palmer Lake, Monument,
Wood moor, Tri-Lakes, and the U.S Air Force Academy, either currently (2003) derive a portion of their water
from imported sources or in the future plan to derive a portion of their water from imported sources.
Wastewater return flows from these municipal entities usually are discharged into Monument Creek or a
tributary of Monument Creek. Implementation of any imported water reuse programs by these municipal
entities also may require transportation of the imported return flows in Monument Creek downstream to
some undetermined location; this transportation also will require estimation of transit losses.

Lastly, municipal entities along Fountain Creek upstream from station 07105500, such as Woodland Park,
Cascade, and Manitou Springs, also either currently (2003) derive a portion of their water from imported
sources or in the future plan to derive a portion of their water from imported sources. Imported wastewater
return flows from these municipal entities, which are discharged into Fountain Creek, also may be part of
reuse programs implemented by these municipal entities. These reuse programs may require transportation
of the return flows in Fountain Creek downstream to some undetermined location; this transportation also
will require estimation of transit losses.

Currently (2003) no method exists to enable estimation of transit losses along Monument Creek upstream
from Fountain Creek and along Fountain Creeks upstream from station 07105500. A detailed study, similar
to the study completed for Fountain Creek downstream from station 07105500 (Kuhn, 1988), is needed to
develop a trainsit-Ioss accounting program for Monument and Fountain Creeks upstream from station
07105500. The resulting transit-loss accounting program would enable the CCS and the numerous other
municipal entities to account for return flows of imported water transported down the two creeks and help to
enable implementation of any imported water reuse programs.