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<br />SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS
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<br />The Upper Colorado River Basin fUGOl) 01 the National
<br />Water.Ouality Assessment {NAWQA} Pr09ram includes lhe
<br />17.800-sQuare-mlle drainage baSin 01 the Colorado River
<br />upstream Irom the Colorado-Utah Slale line. The study
<br />area is almost equally diVided between the SOuthern
<br />Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateau PhysiographiC
<br />Provinces, Population In the baSin IS approxlmalely
<br />308.000. The major use of water IS irrigatIon, but
<br />lransmounlaln diversions provide water 10 more than
<br />1 million people In the eastern par'! 01 Colorado (outSide of
<br />the study area),
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<br />Stream and River Highlights
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<br />Slrl'ams alld ri\'l'r" IIllhe L'ppl'r Cllloradn RI\er
<br />BaSin ~ L.COLJ art' \1.'1}' dlllert'nt in the t\\'o major
<br />phy"int'raphlc prmlllcl;"s. In ~l;"nl'ral. "tre-ams \-\ithlll
<br />Ihe- Southern Rocky ~ltlulllaill~ are characterized by
<br />100\t'r "t'diment and dis~ol\'ed."olid" concentrallOns.
<br />cllolt'r Il'mperalUrt'". and 'Sllllll;'wh;'L1 hl!!her gradlenh
<br />than "treams in the Culorado Plateau. Sedimelll, 'SJ.hn-
<br />ity. and nutrient (nitrogt'n and ph(l~phoru<,) CllnLl'ntra-
<br />lillm in<.'reasl' along the major river" 3" lht' water tlow"
<br />frnl1ltht' up'>tream areas in (ht' Soulhl'm Ri\cky ~t(\un~
<br />tjins down lhrough the Colorado Plateau.
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<br />Coupit'd wilh me !!eneral difference," due In phy;,i-
<br />llgraph~ ~lnd gl'olngy an~ me effech of Jifferenlland
<br />lhl'S. Recreation and urban dew]opment are becoming
<br />maj0r land-ust" i..."ue;, throughout the basin, prt'cil1u'S
<br />metal mining wa... historically prcvalent In the Sl)ulh~
<br />em Ro..-ky ~Iounlains. J.nd inrenst\C' ~gncuhure i~
<br />located i111he \ alley" of tht" Clllorado Plateau,
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<br />.\lost of lhe strl'alm and rivers ~ampleJ within lhe
<br />CCOL met StJte and Federal wJter-qualllY guidelil1e~.
<br />\bjor e\\..epllllm 10 lhis ...tJtemelll were trace-clemen!
<br />cOlll'cntratilms in some streams in the S(Juthem Ro\..ky
<br />\Iountains and ;,elenium conccntrations in ,,,orne ;;lream<i in
<br />the Clllorado Plateau,
<br />
<br />In lhe Southem Rock\ ;...lnuntain:-.. concentratlorh of
<br />Ilulrienh {nitrogen and phmphllru~! were generally 10....
<br />but were grealer in urban slrealll:. than in .;,tr('am~ III
<br />area" with mimmal dl'vl'll\pmentlp. OJ.
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<br />Urban :.tn:ams 111 the Southem R(x:ky ~1(1untains had
<br />greall'r amount.. of algae .md a .:hange in lhl' inveneorak
<br />community from pnllmion.'Scn"itin: in\e.::ts 10 rollutioll~
<br />loleralll tn"l'\..h .:nmpared to ~tn..anh in area.\ with mini~
<br />Illal dt.wlo(lIllL'l1IlP' 6--71. Simtlarly. in <;'0111(" mining
<br />area:-. olllw Stluthem RO<..ky :-'IUUrH.lins. the lIl\t'neorafe
<br />CUlllfllUllIty \-\as alsu composed 01 pollution.toleram
<br />11l"t"Ch. Illdicating morc d<"gradt'J ~ilt'" 1 r, 131.
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<br />Selecled IndIcators of Stream-Waler Quahly
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<br />SoulhernRocky
<br />Mountains
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<br />ColoradoPlaleau
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<br />SmlllSlreams
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<br />Small
<br />Streams
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<br />OUII"lol
<br />Sludy
<br />Unll
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<br />Mljor
<br />Rive~
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<br />Mlllor
<br />Rivers
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<br />Agrl~
<br />~ullure
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<br />Urban Mining
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<br />PII"II~Id9S' .... ~
<br />Nllrale1 ( (,) ..... I,) .
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<br />TOlal .. " ~ ~ , (t
<br />Phosphorus'
<br />TraceElllmllnls' .t ,,' ~ ..,}
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<br />P'll,c..nl39l'O'sampl..SWltt>concenl,al,onsgrelllerlhanor
<br />~uallOI'>ea'It1.'ela!e<lnat"malguidlinestol""".rr'9Waler,
<br />protOCliOflofaQual.ckle.orCOfltaclrec'eanon
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<br />F'erc-.e<118\1'-101 samples w.lhOOr\C(onltatlO<l5 I...... Ihanhelllttl_reiaTed
<br />nlllfonalguooolmestor"rrn~ingw..ler,protect'onol..0u.llt.cllfe,or
<br />COf11acl,ec,",I>On
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<br />F'e'centa<<eofsamo"".S....-rtl1nod..Ifl<:llonr.F\o'<;OOlagelll 1 or less
<br />8n(l r'f18V noloo clearly VISItlk!j
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<br />NO/assessed
<br />'IOS4ldocldf"s herbK:Kles,ilnd!lf'S!OI)emela!)ollles, samplOOtn wate,
<br />'.N,lralelasnll'tlg<"nj. sampledlnwaler
<br />'TotalPf"oOSprto.us,sampledlf1....8Ier
<br />'Selen,u1TI a'l(l metai$ ls..ch as CIldm'um, lead and llncl. sample<lln Wllter
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<br />Summar: [If .\laJor Findings
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