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<br />fJ')'" r' <br />l it ,-I i <br /> <br />Blue River - Page 2 <br /> <br />At the present time, only the following are holding water: Crete, <br /> <br />Wilber, DeWitt, Hdbesvl11e, and Barn\ton. All of these dams, except <br /> <br />the Crete dam, are used to generate electric power. These impoundments, <br /> <br />1n general, help to improve the water quality because they act like waste <br /> <br /> <br />water retention ponds. These impoundments contain a high plankton <br /> <br /> <br />population which utilize many of the pollutants as food. This 1s <br /> <br />evidenced by the fact that belotoJ r.10st of the d9.:TIS there 1s a reduced <br /> <br />phosph3te content and an ln~re~sed amount of dissolved oxygen. It 1s <br /> <br />interesting to note that the river does not Shot'l a major increase 1n <br /> <br /> <br />pollutants at the Kansas State Line, 1n spite of the fact that a <br /> <br />large amount of waste t..'tater is discharged into the river between Crete <br /> <br />and the Kans~s line. <br /> <br />Secondly, we must keep in mind that Marysville, Kansas, obtains <br /> <br /> <br />its drinking water from the Big Blue RiVer. At present, the quality <br /> <br /> <br />of the t':ater meets the Kansas State Health Depart;nent requirements <br /> <br /> <br />for a ratl drinking water supply. HOt...ever, it ffiust be kept in mind <br /> <br />that the amount of waste water--munlcipal, industrial, agricultural, <br /> <br />and return irrigation flows, are increasing ever~y year and, in the <br /> <br />future, there \'rill have to be an upgrading d: the '.':aste water effluents. <br /> <br />Lastly, south of ~hrysville, Kansas, the Big Blue River flows into <br /> <br />Tuttle Creek Reservoir. At the present time, ~e do not know what <br /> <br /> <br />effect the Blue River is having upon the water quality in the reservoir. <br /> <br /> <br />Data collected by the Nebraska State Department of Health2 indicate <br /> <br />~ Rapp, Villiam F, and Francl E. Krebs 1966, Water Quality of Nebraska <br />Surface Strearr.s, Surface \<:ater Quality Report ":1, page 15 <br />