WSP05347 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

OOl~!9 McE1mo Creek McE1mo Creek drains the western portion of the San Juan Basin. This region as a semi-arid climate and during the summer months McE1mo Creek flows intermittently. Water quality data for McE1mo Creek indicate serious degradation in this stream. Nutrients are in sufficient supply to accelerate eutrophication. Total dissolved solids range from 3 to 6 times the municipal water supply standards, and suppended solids are so heavy that only a rudimentary aquatic ecosystem is possible. The Dolores Sub-basin The portion of the Dolores sub-basin, which extends into Region 9, drains most of Dolores County and the northern third of Montezuma County. The Dolores drainage basin is a sub-basin of the Colorado River. The Dolores River arises near Lizard Head Pass between Rico and Ophir near the San Miguel County line. The river runs in a southwesterly direction to the Town of Dolores, where it then proceeds northwest through Dolores and San Miguel counties. Monitoring by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1980-1981 verifies that the Dolores River in Region 9 exhibits generally good water quality. The lower reaches have been historically affected by depletion during periods of the year. Completion of the McPhee Project will allow for maintenance of minimum stream flow to alleviate this problem. POINT SOURCE ASSESSMENT Introduction Point sources in the San Juan Area hold significant potential for water pollution due to the number of discharges. Point sources, as defined in the Federal Clean Water Act of 1977, are those which enter a water course from any "discernable, confined, or discrete conveyance" such as a ditch, pipe, or conduit. All point sources require a discharge permit pursuant to Section 402 of the Clean Water Act and the Colorado Water Quality Act, C.R.S., 25-8-501 (as amended). For the purposes of this report, point sources are categorized as either municipal or non-municipal. A municipal point source refers to wastewater treatment works owned and operated by municipalities or special districts. Non-municipal point sources are those which, by and large, are privately owned and operated. This category includes commercial establishments (which do not employ public facilities for waste-treatment), industries, recreational establishments, active mining operations (including sand and gravel), food processing plants, fish hatcheries, and all other private entities which discharge effluent to surface waters or which employ methods of underground injection. -7-