WSP06433

• File Number: 8273.300
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agency Reports - USGS
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/2000
• Author: USGS
• Title: Water Quality in the Upper Colorado River Basin - Colorado 1996-98
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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CADMIUM

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ZINC

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Figure 11. Median concentrations of cadmium and Zinc In streambed sediments were greater than the Canadian Probable
Et1ect level in most mining districts ollhe UCOL

!lily l"llmpositioll from :>l.'llsjtj\"('
In...l'l"l.... SUL'h a.. muytlic:.., It) more
wlerallt insccls. such as midgt"s.
Ltl\\Cr mayn~ aoullJancl' can hL'
fl;'latt'd [1I1IlCrea:-.l.'J trace-element
..:onl"l~nlr:lliol1" (Clements and
Kiffncy. 1495: Clement.... 1l}1}-l:

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Kiffne~ and Cknwllh. 19941-
Concentratlon... of Ir,KC element" in
tran...plalll(.J <.Iquath: 11\ll...... aho pru-
\'idL' information ah..lul the (It.cur-
rence and hltla\ailahililY of lral..'e
colcomenl"; I Carter and Porter. 1997),
In order 10 a~~I..''''' Ihe sourcels'
anJ ell\'irnnmenlal efft'l:IS of tra('c'

l.'klllenl-.. a more del:nkd ~tudy
\....a~ \..'ondul..'led in thl.' Blue Ri\er
Basin: lhi.. ..tlld~ included the col-
It'I..,tiun ,lf watt'r. "treambed sedi-
menl-., rt'''t'r\oir ..edimenl-.. and
aquatic nlll,,'" "Jmpk<. and an
:.l""es..ll1eIH of lhe hahitat :.lnd inver-
!t:bratc' .:ommllnitic"i.

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TRACE ELEMENTS IN STREAMBED SEDIMENTS OF THE UCOL
WERE OFTEN GREATER THAN CONCENTRATIONS DETECTED
AT OTHER SITES NATIONALLY

100,000 r-
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10,000 "EIlW< . UCOl t
1.000 MlN'MUM t
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ZINC

CADMIUM

COPPER

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The median concentrations for cadmium, copper. lead. and zinc in s.treambed sediment from sill'S in the
UeOL were higher than the median concentrations of the same trace elemenl'> sampled in other Study Units
of the national NAWQA Program. The data available on trace elements include 541 samples from rhe
?-:AWQA Study Units (Rice. 1999) and 37 samples from the VeOL. ~tineralizcd areas and historical mining
activities in the VeOL have resulted in higher concentrations of some trace elements in streams than those
concentrations that typically are found in other parts of the United States,

12 \\'alt'r QualilY in the L"pper Colorado Riwr Basin