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<br />nUl.ri~ntsandorganic (,]H:mi~'i1I~: and tlgrjCullure.iS'i~ 8~(1fCt' of
<br />salmlty and nutrients 1ll ,'qUll..:!".... ~\nd stl\',am:-., ands1I8pendco
<br />s€',dimcntst~~reH~F _ I
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<br />11lIt'rh,,-.in \\iller transfer..., Illllling. urh:ull/alioIL ,llId agriculture
<br /><11\' lite prillup;d 11IIJllall aClivllll" Ihal .llll'l'l \V,Un quality illlhL'
<br />l '('01 'lLlth unit III (Ill' 'Iud) ullit. lhl"l' <ll'rivillc, (\lTlIr appro\]
<br />1l1;lfCI~ 111;\ d(\\\I1"II\',1I1\ ll,.deL JlIlcrh;",in \\;lILT lral\"fer, ,11\' ill I Ill'
<br />head\\ ;Iler.... l!llllill,:.! OlTlll"' ill till' 1l101l1H:1I11()1l" an'it". lIrh;\1li/illl01l
<br />j, ill I Ill' ,;ilk\\ llfll1c Slllllhl'l'1l Rllt'l\) \'I(llllllain,> and ('olnradn
<br />1)la[(';llI. and ;I.~~nl'lllllln: pred(lllllllarl1l~ I" 111111l' \';dky" Ilf 111('
<br />( ()IOLldlll'l,t1,';1l1
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<br />Water Management and Use
<br />
<br />111 1 qq '. illll'rh;l"lll W:l(l'r ll"i.llhkr" (Jig -I) l'(lll\'l'ycd aboul
<br />';;X.'i.(}()(l anl' 1'('('1 of \\,lllT ( 12 perl'elll or (Ill' aVer;)?!l' dlHHlat
<br />"lrl';HlIl\\l\\ lIfllll' ha"lllllrOfll till' t:PPl.-'r('lllorado Ri\'(T Ib"lll
<br />III Illl' Sllll1ll PlallC Rin (il':llldl'. and ;\rh.all",l" Rivl'r lh"ins. hUn-
<br />l\,l"ill \\,;I[l'r ll;lllskr" gl'llerally on."ur Ill'<l!" llll' "lrCd!ll hL'<ldw;l\l'h.
<br />dlld Illl' ;UllOllll[ lIt" ,,[ll',lInfll)\\' din:rtl'd (,Ul Ill' a ..;ulhtanli;tl pan oi'
<br />lilt' ,,11\';1111110\\ 1l,';1I 111l'''l' SOllrr"-,,,. By rl'IllO\'llI1! \\'atn i'rom till'
<br />,,\"!l'IlL 11llcrha....11l \\:l[er Irall,,!'e!"..; denl';L""" I Ill' dilllli()!1c:lrabilily \)r
<br />Ihl' '-.In';[llh, I Ill' 1111111ertllL'" ["('''l'I\'Olr". v.',Her divn...ioll.... and
<br />111\1111(,'lp;1I di"dl;llgn 1Il11le:.' ha,,1Il (1Ig. .rl alln [hl' Il:lIural "Iream
<br />I1m\. \\ Inch "-',111 .dfCl'l Illl' aqualll' hahil;1! ,lnd Wil[er l]u,dily of I he
<br />....[I\',lIlh hlll'\,llllpk. rl'''er\OlI"S (,'illllrap \vdillll'fl[ :111(\ dlTI"l':ISl'
<br />11:ll'!," nll'lal IO;ld" dllwlhtr~all1.
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<br />EXPLANATION
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<br />70 ~OKttoMU!'flS
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<br />40 MilES
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<br />. Reservoir weater than 50.000 acre-feet
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<br />Water divelsion greater than 100,000 acra.feCI per year
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<br />Munlcipol discharge greatet than 850 acre-feet per year
<br />... Interbasin Willer transfer greater than 4,500 acre. feet per year
<br />
<br />Figure 4. MellOI water stor(\g(~s, uses, ancl exports In the Unper
<br />;olor;HJo Rivl'l BilSlfl stUdy ural
<br />
<br />\Valei' llsed in IhL' "Iudy L1nit predominantly IS frolll surfacl.'
<br />waleI' \ource\: however. groulld water. which aCL'Olll1ls for ahout
<br />I percclll of tIll' IOlal wale!' used ill Ihc hasill. is imporl<llll for
<br />dOllll'\tic u\e ill rurall'o1l11l1lIlli,ies. Irrigaljol1 is the principal off
<br />"Ircalll \\'ater u"c in I he hasin. which accOlll1lcd for ahout 97 PCI'l'l'llt
<br />Ill" all w,llcr LIse ill 19()().
<br />
<br />Land Use
<br />
<br />Rang<,:land <llld i'oresl (liE!. 5) arc the predominant land L1ses in
<br />Ihl' "Iudy ullil (ahout X5 pl'rcclltl. Livcstock gra/lllg. Illgging.
<br />dnd :"'ar-rolllld recrcational aCliviti('\ 011 r;\lIgL'land and foresl Glll
<br />:dfl'CI 11ll' watn quality hy adding "edilllcnh. J11J1ricllh. and olhel"
<br />\.'(lll..;liIIICnl\ II) lhc wall'l".
<br />
<br />\kulnlllllllg i" an imporlant aClivi[} Ih<lr occurs lllltll'
<br />Ill'ad\\/atcr area... oj' lhe basin. Pa,,1 <lnd pn.'sL'1ll Illining acllvJlic\
<br />havc includcd thc C\lraClioll of mewls 'illdl as copper. gold.
<br />lead. nlolyhdenlllll. nickel. silver. vanadiulll. and line. SL'vl'ral
<br />Irlhutaries (0 Ille Colorado R.iver-Ihe HILII,'. Eagle. Roaring Fork.
<br />dlld (;Ulllli\OIl River". drain (llle of Ihe primary metal-mining
<br />rq~J()lb ill Colorado. SlrL'ams in Ille hasin have hecn affectcd bv
<br />[lOilll-..;ourCt' mine dischmgc ,1I1d IHlIlpoillt-"Ource runoff fmm
<br />111illCd areas (\Vellll. IlJ741, Snme 'itreams ill the hasin, "L1ch as
<br />R.ed \'lOlllltaill Creek {a trihut,try 10 Ihe UncOlllpahgrc Rivcr). arc
<br />alTertl'd hy ;Kid 1ll1l11' drainage.
<br />
<br />Urh<llll/;ltion i,,, lllll' of the smaller land lIse" in the mostly rural
<br />pfJl'r Coloradn River Ibsin. However. ill "0111e 1l101l1llam
<br />l'OlllllHlIlities in [he headwall'!'\ or the "llHly uni1. Ihe populalioll is
<br />IIlLTl'""ing al a rate of ahou[ 10 percenl annually (Rurcau of Censll'\,
<br />19<)2). !loinl SllurCL'\ fmlll urhanizatio1] include disch:.\rge from
<br />\\a\IL'\\aln-[reallllellt planls; il':lchatL' from ,>cptk systems. 'iolid-
<br />\\asll' dispo"aL k.\king underground slOnlge tanks, indll"lrinl
<br />di"ch,lrges. and ..;Iorrn runoff. which also is:\ Ilollpoinl "OllrCl'. All
<br />llll'''"' \(lllrCCS pOll'nlially call arreclllll' "\lI"face alld ground w,Her hy
<br />;ldding nUlrient<..;. pc"li('ide". varioll'" chemicals. hydrocarbon\. lrael!
<br />l'kllll~Il"'. and s,llts depending llponll11' specilic point source.
<br />
<br />1\~ric\JIIllrc. predornilwlllly III Ihl' C'<llorad{) PI;IIC<lll phy\in~
<br />~raphil' pi'Ovillcc. i... all illlporr:Ul1 lalld use (ahoUI 7 pnccl\t of Ihl"
<br />pllysiographiL' province). There are several pntcnlial agricultural
<br />1l11llpOlnl-sourn.' is"lIc.... in till' lower region nl" thl' hasin. t\griclll
<br />lural ;ll'livilies III lhe hu:-.in call cause il\nea"ed kv(~b nr ..;alinity.
<br />..;cdi11lcllts. nutricllts, pesticides. and selenium arid olhcr tral'l~
<br />clelllcnls ill receiving \vaters. which G\ll ~ltTcctlhl' surfal'c- alld
<br />grolllld-w;ucr Lju,dily and aqualie biota. hn l'"ample. irrig;lIioll
<br />r('[Urn flow" call increase salinilY ill Ihe surfan' and grnund \Vaters
<br />\)( tile \Hldy uni!. In additioll. partly bel':.lll\e of retlse of irrigatio1]
<br />\\';Iler and le;ll'lullg of nallirally oCL'uning Irace elcmCIHs from
<br />lhl' \oils and \llHkrlying ..;lJ;dc hedmch.. Iraci.' l'IC1llCllh. ..;uch a...
<br />\l'leniulll. arc prescnl in tilt' \v.lIer u"L'd for dOlllesli(~ and irrigaliol}
<br />11LlITHhC". Sl'lclliurn (olll'cnlralions arc high in Ihe lower valk'ys ()f
<br />Il1l' hasin. \\hich also can he ;[ COllCI.'l"rl for prolectioll Ilr lish and
<br />\\;llcri'Il"'1. III the "clIliarid to arid climale" uf I Ill' Colorado Plateau.
<br />"lI'Ik'lldcd "l'dilllcnl In the \tre;U11". as a l"e"ull ofsedirnclH erosion
<br />hI, \\ lilt! :llld water. l'all hl' Increased hv agricultur;1I aCliv;lll'"
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