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16 . COLORADO WATER , ~~;Jt 1997 0273 . u.s. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DATA COLLECTION AND STUDIES IN THE ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN by Doug Cain, Subdistril:t Chief Editor's nole: Doug Cain. Subdistricl Chief. U.S. Geological Survey, presenJed the following paper aI lhe Arkansas River Basin Waler Forum, "A River of Dreams and Realilies," January 22.23. 1997. The forum was held in Pueblo. Colorado. Cain describes the USGS data colleClion efforts and lhe slatus of water quality in the valley. The U.S. Geological Survey has taleen on additional responsibilities within the last year. In the past, we were the nation's mapmalcers, geologists and hydrologists. We have recently incorporated the National Biological Survey as one or our divisions. so now we have the capability to do biological studies also. Another thing I should mention about the USGS is that we are nOl a regulatory agency; we are a scientific agency. We are proud of our unbiased approach to science. Our office in Pueblo is responsible for water resources data collection and studies, both in the Arleansas Valley and the San Luis Valley of Colorado. I will focus on the Arleansas Valley today. Within the basin. we worle with about 20 local agencies to do data collection and studies and with about five other federal agencies that provide us funding for various activities related to water. The office in Pueblo includes aboUI 35 people. mostly hydrologists and hydrologic technicians, who collect data and do studies on waler. I would Iilee to give you an overview of our activities before I go into detail about some of the results of our worle. We are responsible for data collection and studies in the basin, and that includes the operation of a large number of stream gages and continuously recording water qualily monilors. We collect data on surface and groundwater quality. suspended sediment in streams. and precipitation primarily related to studies that we have in process. Another site that we operate in this basin, near the Las Animas fish hatchery, is a part of the National Trends Networle, which looles at the acidity of precipitation. We have a number of groundwater level networles in the Arleansas River Basin. For many of the stream gage and water quality monitoring siles, the data (both real.time and historic) have been available on the Internet now for about twO years. The same address (web server.cr.usgs.gov/home.htmlf) can provide you links to get real-time stream /low information for virtually the entire United States. You might want to talee a loole althat website. I will talle today about the results of either recent or ongoing studies that we have done in the basin. I will stan by loolcing at groundwater levels in the basin. We have a number of water level networles in the basin, the largest of which is in the alluvial aquifer along the Arleansas River between Pueblo and the Kansas state line. There, we have measured water levels in a number of wells for more than 25 years. In the last year, we have gone bacle and looked at data from a number of those wells that had been measured for that entire period to see if we can identify trends. Many of you know that there is concern about high water-table conditions in the basin, and I think Figure 1 will give you an idea of what we have seen. It shows the average change in water level (in feet). 0-" W W U. Z -. ..; w > w -', a: w 0- < <:, i!!: w Cl z, < :l: o w Cll < a: w > <0 n=53 n=34 n=56 PUEBLO TO FT. LYON CANAL HEADGATE FT. LYON CANAL HEADGATE TO JII. JMA TO STATE UNE RIVER REACH These are all increases in water level. and this is the level where groundwater will stand in a well below the Fig. 1. Aperage 25-Year (1969.94) Change in Groundwater upels.