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<br />GOALS OF NAWOA DESIGN OF NAWOA ! DESCRIPTION OF THE UPPER COLORA <br />: RIVER BASIN STUDY UNIT <br /> <br />The protection and enhancement of the quality of the <br />Nation'5 ground-water and surface-water resources. are <br />high-priority concerns to the public. Nationally <br />consistent information on the status and trends of the <br />Nation's water quality is needed to help determine the <br />effectiveness of past water-quality programs and to <br />provide a base Of knowledge for making future'water- <br />manag~ment deci~ion~. '!pe U.S. Geological Survey's <br />(USGS) National Water-QuaJiry Assessmem <br />(NAWQA) Prdgrrtm was developed to meet lnese <br />needs. <br /> <br />'j <br /> <br /> <br />TheN AVfQA. PrQ~rami$Cdesi(',l1ed+d ,.us<;.alnu~i$Cal~, <br />integrated,apd interdi~dpJinary apptoach to water- <br />quality assessment. Withi!lfom(ation prl:lcvidecl bjllocal <br />>>:ilter lllal!age~and'\Vater lIsersin each basin3J1d <br />kn(jwled.ge ,gained 'frQln re.viewing all of the historic <br />data,datthcoUectionnetworksardieveloped hY the <br />USGS to eJeiW)inc.thephysicrtl, chemical,ano <br />biological aspects of the basin. ResultsJrom tIlis effort <br />enable the USGS to meet itsprogranl gdals by <br />describing curre(tt Vlllter-qualitYcontlitions and <br />identifying natural and human factQrs affectingbasiu <br /> <br />It:. udJ"J <br /> <br />['9"/7 <br />... ',JV <br /> <br /> <br />NAWQA STUPY UNITS <br /> <br />Studies of tile hydrulogic systems tIlat include parts of <br />most major river basins and aquifer systems (study unit <br />in.vestiga'tions) are tile building blocks of the NAWQA <br />Program. Slity st~dy units selected for investigation <br />range in size from leifs than 1 ;OOtftO more than 60,000 <br />square'miles and represent '(jOt!) 70 petcenHJl'the <br />,Nation's 'l'ater w;ea)1d popnlatioJ1"servedby public <br />water supplies, Twenty stuAy'unit ihvestlgations were <br />started in :!991,~ana.aditional20 were Started in 1994 <br />(pL:wliich!he UPPllr Col<Jradd River Basin is one}, and <br />20 more are plantled tQ,start in 1997. <br /> <br /> <br />. The basin has a drainage area of about 17,809 squar' <br />miles. primarily located within Colorado. <br /> <br />. The basin includes five major river syslems-tolorac <br />Blue, Eagle, Roaring Fork, and Gunnison. ' <br /> <br />. Diverse topography exists with altitudes ranging fro <br />llRlC'e than 14,000 feet along the Continental Divide <br />4,~OO feet near the Colorado-Utah S,tate line,. <br /> <br />. Average annual predpitatt'on ranges from more than <br />inches per year in the eastern high-altitude pan of; <br />basin to less than 10 inches per year in the semi-a: <br />to ~arid western pan of the basin. <br /> <br />. Land use is domirJated by forest and rangehllld in Ih <br />eastern lTlounwl'lS antl irrigated agriculture j$ <br />predomin~ntin the westernyj(lIeysandBlatea\l reg <br />ofthe baSin. ~ <br /> <br />. Recreation is a growing activity in the basin, and <br />numerous NatiOnal Parks, Wildemess;Areas,1incf <br />areas are prci>euj, <br /> <br />. Population ill the basin is about:25(},OOO andgrowini <br />a rate of to percentannuall)t in ~;ome"ofthe:b"lltit <br /> <br />. Transm~tain diversions \rt)m the west to 1he east <br />slqpe oftheJ:;ou,tinentaJ Divide, aCCol;nt foqlbout <br />petcent of theaYerage~nult! ~trealnflow ~i!l thebl <br /> <br />. Of the water used in, the basin, aMljt,4perc~t is <br />consumptive use,andnearly'illl 'Of that is:fur <br />agricu1tme. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />r---""l <br /> <br />EXPLANATION <br />Irrig"*tion. <br />4jvBmdcK <br />DomestIc <br />Ggmmen::.al. ni11 na arict 'lQ JS' a1 <br /> <br />= <br /> <br />r::. <br />