WSP01897

• File Number: 8270.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Water Quality/Salinity -- Misc Water Quality
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1977
• Author: USDOI
• Title: Quality of Water - Colorado River Basin - Progress Report No. 8 - January 1977
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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PART VI. EVALUATIONS OF EXISTING SALINITY CO~~ITIONS

A. Qualitv of Water Stations

A primary purpose of this report is to summarize water quality
conditions for the Colorado River Basin. This part summarizes chemical
quality under both historical and present conditions of water resource
development and utilization. Anticipated changes In future chemical
quality are discussed in Part VII. Other water quality parameters are
discussed in Part LX.

Evaluations of the salinity of the water In the basin are based
on quality of water and streamflow records at 17 selected stations.
Each station is considered to reflect flow and water quality conditions
at its location. Records were generally available at each station for
the time period considered by this report, 1941 to 1974. Where records
were not available, missing data were estimated by correlation with other
stations.

Basic data summarized in this report were primarily obtained from
records of the Geological Survey developed by a continuing program for
collection of water data which is supported in part by a transfer of
funds from the Bureau of Reclamation.

Locations of the 17 key stations are shown on Figure 1.
flow and quality records for each station are shown on Figure
source and method of derivation of basic data for each of the
are briefly discussed in the following sections.

Available
2. The
stations

1. Key Stations with Complete Records

Records of flow and water quality are available for all of the
1941-]& period for the Green River at Green River, Utah (Station No.
4); Colorado River near Cameo, Colorado (Station No.7); Gunnison River
near Grand Junction, Colorado (Station ~o. 8); Colorado River near Cisco,
Utah (Station No.9); and San Juan River near Bluff, Utah (Station No.
11). ~inor extensions only were needed to fill in short periods of record
for a few of these stations. The Colorado River near Glenwood Springs
gage was moved from above to below the Roaring Fork at the end of the
water year 1966. Subsequent records for this station were adjusted by
subtracting the Roaring Fork flows. All records were obtained from the
Geological Survey publications. Current Geological Survey data may be
obtained from the respective U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resource
Division computer data storage banks in Reston, Virginia, or from the
Environmental Protection Agency's STORE! system.

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