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<br />2002
<br />
<br />December
<br />
<br />COLORADO II'A TER
<br />
<br />RESEARCH
<br />
<br />'<i
<br />
<br />EUTUOJ'IIIC\T10:\ OF
<br />!JUI:\KIM; II'ATEU UESEU\'OmS
<br />0:\ TilE COLOUADO mO:\T u.-\:\(a:
<br />by
<br />
<br />Jim CI.(J!I;.,", f'rofes.wr afChit t:ngineen'llf.: and /:xlI,>m;oll \ratt'r Quality SfJt'Ciali.~1
<br />
<br />Eutmphkalioo. or th... aging of lali.c:'~
<br />and re-.en..oir-. due 10 nutrient mruh.
<br />has ~n observ...d III many. If nOI mo'>l.
<br />Colorado From Range re"-..:rnllP\. ;\0-
<br />table e:\iUnple:o. iodud... SfJ.ndlc:y Ld..e.
<br />Lake l..o\-e1and. and l-Ior-.eloOlh Re..er-
<br />Hlir. While c:'ulmphicalion i.. a natural
<br />pll.)I.:~... rhe rJ.pid pa<:e with \l.hil'h it j,
<br />Ol.:curring in From Range rC'>Cl"\-oir.. j... a
<br />cau..e for ..:on..:em and is the ...ul:tj~'1 of a
<br />I~arly L"Ofllplcled (me-year 'ludy funded
<br />by the Colorado Waler Rc-.ouft'e,
<br />Re~an-h Imlituh: and rrolll
<br />Range Waler Prmider.. indud-
<br />iog the eilie.... of Fon Collin..,
<br />Greeley. Longmonl.lkn\'cr.
<br />,\umra. and .he Nonhern
<br />Color.uk) Waler Con"en'anc~
<br />Di..tril'1. Jim Lof1j". blen-
<br />..ion Agri\.'utruraJ F..nginC'er. i..
<br />managing the projel:t with a,,-
<br />"i"larn.-,e from facull) mernhers
<br />Urell John~n of Fi"hl'I)' and
<br />Wildlife Riology and LlUrd
<br />Sailo. Ulli.....l.~II)' of Ne\'ado
<br />Reno. and graduate _smdellh
<br />Brian Gelder <1nd Man:i Kos~j.
<br />
<br />For many re..cn'oi~ inlhis re-
<br />gion. a ..hifl in u-.e is ol.xurring mpidly.
<br />away from irrigalion waler slorage ~lOd
<br />loward municipal W.ller suppl~. ....ith
<br />generally more sl ,:1lI n::qUlT<:lll~'nl'>
<br />for w.1terqualil~'. In '>C.....l.ral re"'-'r'o'Olr,
<br />waler qualily has alrc:ad~ bc..-cn im-
<br />padcd 10 the el.h:nlthaltrc:alahilit~ for
<br />municip<ll WOller ,upply i, .lffC'l.,t~, and
<br />in 'oOfl)t' l'.1'>eS n.'I.:reallon and ;}('sl~lics
<br />have been impadl-d as well. In aJdilion
<br />10 tasle aJKI odor nmcems ;\_s""lI..'ialed
<br />with C1;CC,,-' alf~ pmdUl.'tiOll. de\'all:\.1
<br />k....cb. of 100al organi<' Cilrhon (TOCI
<br />are an increa,ing l'onl.-em beGIU..... of
<br />Ihe harmful and ,tringently regulaled
<br />disinftX'llOIl by-produ"'I' Ih<11 resulT
<br />from chlorin;.ling: .... alers high In TOe.
<br />Management inlcnention rna~ be ne...-
<br />es.\ary aLTUS,," the regit\n for pmlel'lmg
<br />
<br />Ihe-.e bendil'ial use, O\'...r Ihe long leml.
<br />Cenainly. publi\.' a"dfene", mU,1 be: ra."....d
<br />ona 'Iale\\id... 10:\'\:1.
<br />
<br />Tod<1le. Fronl fbllge Resen'oir' h;J\'c
<br />~:en ,tudi...d individually. and manage-
<br />nll'lll ha" been addre"..ed on a l'ase-h~-
<br />l'a'>C ba..i". Thi, approal'h ma~cs "en...... in
<br />Ihal ea\.'h s~ stem js uniyul' U1 il'> l'hemll.'al.
<br />phy"i\.'al. and hiolo,gkal l'ilara\.'leris'll'''.
<br />and lhe u......" 01 lhe re"er\oir are often
<br />primarily [o.:a!. The di"advantage" of
<br />
<br />.....ller ...uppliers, The '>t'l'mW IS 10
<br />review and l'valUale exi"ling re"en'oir
<br />"aler yualilY llloJeh.. -nil" survc) ......"
<br />developed from ,1Il111itial mecllrlg
<br />"llll FronT Range ....a'e-r ...upplicr-.. The
<br />SUf\e~ ....a... impkmenh:d hy meeling
<br />\\1111 ea\.'h panil'lpaJ1l.lnd ,hen hav-
<br />ing Ihem ",uppl~ Jclailed infomlalion
<br />{'n ...Iud~ fe\\:rnllr \.'haral'lerislil''' and
<br />willcr ljuality issue" of imronan\.'e 10
<br />lllerTI. The re,ults \\ocre l'omplied in an
<br />Al'l'CSS dalaba~ for .1Ilalysi....
<br />
<br />For mall}; reservoirs in this region. a shifl
<br />in use is oeeurrillg rapidly, away from irri-
<br />gation water storage and toward municipal
<br />water supply. with generally more stringent
<br />requirementsfor K'aterqualily. /n sel'fral
<br />resen'oirs water quality has already been
<br />impacted to the extent that treatability for
<br />mUllicipal water Sllpp(V is affected, and in
<br />some cases recreation and aesthetics hal-'e
<br />been impacted as well.
<br />
<br />thi~ approal'h are. hO\\e\er. Ihallhcre are
<br />\'el) liket~ nmllllOllle.........>Il' thall'oulJ
<br />lX' !e.lmed reg,m:ling \.';lU"e", ell';;'\.'1'o. and
<br />pOlemial "Olulil'n...lo Ihe l'U1mpllll';\IIOII
<br />prohlem. .\ region..11 approal'h. rather th.U!
<br />;1Il individual ;Ippwal'h. is ne\.'es"af) 10
<br />el.plure the...... nmlmon.llitll". -rlk'm-l'rall
<br />flMI of the Waler Inslilute re.....arl'h prOJI.""'1
<br />.,10 dl'll'mlln(' .... helher the drin~lIlg
<br />\\.Jler suppl~ n:-.en'olrs Illlhe region h;l\e
<br />L'l1ough ..ill1ilarl!l('" 10 "arralll a regional
<br />appmal'h 10 Illoniwring. ll10dding and
<br />lll.Jnagemelll. and 10 help .....1 priorilie... I'll!
<br />future l'{\operallon ;Jlllong Ihe panl~'jpalll1!:,
<br />waler pW\lJers.
<br />
<br />TIle: rc.....an:h has '''''0 l'l.llllpOnenh; lhe
<br />tlr...t is 10 d.e\'ell1p. Ill1pkmem. and c\alu-
<br />ale lhe re..ulh 01 a ...une~ of From Range:
<br />
<br />fhe ,un'e)' id~'l1Iitied a
<br />fairly wide range of re.....r-
<br />\'oir phy..i\.'all'haral'leri".
<br />Ii"',,. lIlduding ..ize, deplh.
<br />re~idenl'e lime and ;.ge. All
<br />~Ul olle 01 the ~Iud) reser-
<br />v(\irs \loa_s primarily off-line
<br />slllr;lge. meaning Ihal more
<br />Ihall halfoflh... intiow .....3...
<br />from (lul-{)f.~a~llI ....mfl'e...
<br />The lop Ii\'(: ."'"ue" idellli-
<br />liell vialhc:...un'ey were.
<br />in del'rcal>ing order of
<br />llllpllnan,,'e:
<br />
<br />1.Ill1llpllllll pl.\IIUlioll
<br />~_nutril."nl lo..ding
<br />3. w;J1cr..hed pn>le\.'11011
<br />4. l.'ulrophll.';Ililln/lrophH: "lam"
<br />5. ,11g:"'" hlOtlTlls.
<br />
<br />\'inuall~ ('v....ry wall'r ,uprlier on Ihe:
<br />ClIlnr.Jdo rronl Range lhal depend, on
<br />re"ot"n'l.lir "lOra~l' is \.'('Il<'cmed aboul
<br />Ihel>e issue". Th... Slale 01 Colorado
<br />....illlX' allemrllng Ill......1 nUlrienll.-rite-
<br />ria for la~e" and re"t'fVoirs in thc ncar
<br />rumre, The Inet... of nUlflenh Ihal are
<br />imponanl for man~ \11' the Frllllt Ran!!\.'
<br />drinking.... ;ller re......n.{\lr.. 3re low. and
<br />(MIll'Ult t(1llle3!oure le...pe..'ially ph()~.
<br />phoru'l. Differenl....Il11pling all\l.lIla-
<br />lytll'al methtllh or dilferenllahor.Jlorie"
<br />\.'.In ~ield \'el;> differenl re"ulh, Yel
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