WSP07728

• File Number: 8270.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Water Quality/Salinity -- Misc Water Quality
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 2/1/1986
• Title: Planning Report Concluding the Study on Glenwood-Dotsero Springs Unit - Colorado - February 1986
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

CHAPTER 1 [

~EEn FOR ACTION

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Glenwood-Ootsero Springs Salinity

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Among the natural sources of dissolved solids entering the Colorado
River, the largest salt contributors to thp upper Colorado River are in
the Glenwood-Ootsero Springs Unit area in the reach between the mouth of
the Eagle River near Dotsero and the mouth of South Canyon Creek west
of Glenwood Springs. In this reach, about 22,QOO acre-feet of saline
water and 429,000 tons of dissolved solids enter the river annually.
Approximately half of the water and salts originates from 20 identifien
thermal saline springs on both sides of the river. The remainder of the
water and salt enters through springs in the stream gravels anrl throu~h
diffuse seeps with a very small amount entering from surface runoff of
intermittent tributaries.

The 20 identified
located about 3 mi les
Springs. The spring
shown in Figure I,

springs
south....est
locations

entering the Colorado River include R
of Dotsero anrl 12 in or near Glenwood
anrl their identification numbers are

e

The springs in the Dotsero area are undeveloped but are occasionally
used by floathoaters for bathing, Dot 4, 5, 6, 7, and 90 have been
altered by constrnction of 1-70. The temperature of the f)otsero springs
ranges. from 80 to 90 of. All of the springs occur at or just <\ho\'e river
level. Dot 9, 10, 11, and 90 contribute approximately 98 percent of the
flow from the eight identified springs.

In the Glen....ood Spring8 area, most of the springs are undeveloped
but some are used for commercial purposes. Glen SO is the discharge
from a health spa Located downstream of Glen 12, GLen 60 is overflow
from regulated inflow to a lodge and pool complex, and Glen 70 is out-
flow from the pool. Glen 90 is the water source for a spa. Thef'le com-
mercial users of the spring water are well estabLished businesses in the
area. The temperature of the springs in the Glenwood Springs area is
in the range of 115 to 120 OF. Like the sprinJl;s at Dotsero, all of
these springs are at or just above river level. About two-thir~s of the
flow from the 12 springs comes from Glen 60 and 70,

Problem identification

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To estimate salt inflows attributable to the Dotsero and Glenwoo~
springs, the Colorado River in the study area was divide~ into t....o
reaches--one from the Dotsero U.S, Geological Survey (USGS) gauge to the
Shoshone Po....erplant and the other from the powerplant to the USGS gauge
below Glenwood Springs as shown in Figure I, Data frol!! three USGS gaug-
ing stations on the Colorado River and one on the Roarinl!; Fork River
were used to determine water and salt inflow and outflow in the unit
area. In addition, Reclamation has collected sampling data from the 20
identified springs in the Dotsero and Glenwood Springs area since 1972,
Results of field investigations completed in the summer of 1981 were
used to further verify estimates of subsurface inflows,

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