WSP07499

• File Number: 8149.911
• Description: Miscellaneous Small Projects and Project Studies - SE Needs Assessment/PSOP
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 10/6/1998
• Author: URS Greiner-Woodward
• Title: Lake Meredith Reservoir Enlargement Study - Study Overview
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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csu Technical and Environmental Studies Proposal

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Report summarizing the analyses and findings
of the socioeconomic stuclies of CSU storage
alrernatives, including any significant impacts
or fatal flaws identified. This report will also
include recommendations for adclitional data
collection efforts and stuclies needed to
support future environmental permitting
efforts.

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Task 5. Products
. Draft and Final Socioeconomic Stuclies
Technical Report.

Task 6 - Water Quality Studies
Technical Report
The Water Qwility Stuclies Technical Report will
document existing water quality and potential
impacts of the proposed water resources
development alternatives. Stuclies will address
physical, chemical and biological water qwility
components, including issues associated with
beneficial uses, mine drainage, nutrients,
accumulation of pollutants in storage projects,
stream channel erosion, and overall stream health.

6.1 Collect and Review Available Data. Water
quality reports and data pertinent to the
projecr alternatives and Arkansas River Basin
study area will be collected. In adclition to
several of the reports listed in the request for
proposal, this will include as a minimum:

. Water quality data published by CSU, USGS,
l"SBR, SECWCD, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the Colorado
Deparunent of Public Health and
Environment (CDPH&E), and others;
. Sruclies from any of the above agencies
documenting beneficial uses, use attainment,
water quality standards, water quality
assessments, etc.;
. Stuclies by USGS and others documenting
stream channel erosion conclitions and
processes.

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6.2 Assessment of Existing Conditions. An
assessment of existing warer quality
conditions in the project area based on
ex.isting data and sruclies will be prepared, The
assessment will define key water quality
parameters for important stream reaches and
reservoirs in the Arkansas River Basin.
Parameters of concern will vary by water
body bur will generally include total clissolved
solids; temperature; pH; nutrients
(phosphorus and nitrogen); metals associated
with mine drainage (cadmium, zinc, copper,
lead, manganese, iron); algae and chlorophyll-
a; suspended sediment load; bacteria and
pathogens; and dissolved oxygen. Water
qwility effects of agricultural runoff, urban
runoff, mine drainage, forest practices,
municipal and industrial wastewater
clischarges, and changes in hydrologic regime
will be considered. The assessment will
include channel stability and eroclibility
factors. The result will be a definition of
baseline water quality conclitions, from which
alternative impacts will be measured.
6.3 Water Quality Impacts. Potential short- and
long-term water quality impacts of each of
the storage alternatives will be identified.
Impact analyses will consider the storage
projects themselves as well as downstream
stream reaches, and will be based primarily on
existing information and previous stuclies.
Where necessary, adclitional analyses will be
performed to estimare changes in stream and
reservoir water quality. Impacts will be
quantified where possible, but it is expected
that at this level many impacts will be
expressed in qualitative terms only. (Changes
in stream flows or reservoir levels will be
derermined in the Preliminary Engineering
task,)
6.4 Fatal Flaw Knalysis. Potential water quality
impacts that could represent fatal flaws for
any of the storage alternatives will be
derermined, For any fatal flaws identified,
possible project moclifications will be
suggested,

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