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

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SUMMARY

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This report concludes the planning study of the Bureau of Reclama-
tion for the Glenwood-Dotsero Springs Unit, Colorado River Water Quality
Improvement Program. A great potential exists to reduce or eliminate
salt loading to the Colorado River in the unit ares. The study was con-
cluded, however, because a cost-effective alternative could not he iden-
tified, based on current cost-effectiveness procedures. In addition.
Reclamation would not be able to attain sn appropriative right to water
from the springs of Glenwood and Dotsero springs because a beneficial
user of the saline water has not been identified. If cost-effectiveness
procedures change or a cost-effective industrial or other beneficial use
of the wate~ is identified in the futu~e, the study could be ~esumed. A
significant amount of information about the unit a~ea was gathe~ed du~-
ing the Cou~se of the study, and this ~epo~t was p~epa~ed as a ~eco~d of
that information.

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The Glenwood-Dotge~0 Sp~ings Unit would be located in west-cent~al
Colo~ado in the Uppe~ Colo~ado Rive~ Basin. As shown on the F~ontis-
piece Map, the unit a~ea includes po~tions of Eagle, Ga~field, and Mesa
Counties along the Colo~ado Rive~. P~incipal cities a~e Glenwood Sp~ing9
in Gs~field County and G~and Junction in Mesa County, which lie spp~oxi-
mately 90 miles apa~t. Dotse~o. an uninco~po~ated community, is located
18 miles esst of Glenwood Springs at the confluence of the Colo~ado and
Eagle Rive~s.

Pu~pose snd Scope

The pu~pose of the Glenwood-Dotse~o Sp~ings Unit investigations was
to identify and delineate the saline g~ound wate~ sou~ce which is con-
t~ibuting the salt to the Colo~ado Rive~ and to evaluate plans to ~educe
o~ eliminate that cont~ibution.

Among the natu~al sou~ces of dissolved solids ente~ing the Colo~ado
Rive~J the la~gest salt cont~ibuto~s to the uppe~ Colo~ado Rive~ a~e in
the Glenwood-Dotse~o Sp~ings Unit a~ea in the ~each between the mouth of
the Eagle River nea~ Dotse~o and the mouth of South Canyon Creek west ~f
Glenwood Springs. In this reach, about 22,000 ac~e-feet of saline w8te~
and 429,000 tons of dissolved solids ente~ the ~ive~ annually. Approxi-
mately half of the wate~ and salts o~iginates from 20 identified thermal
saline sp~ings on both sides of the ~iver. The ~emainde~ of the wate~
and salt ente~a through springs in the st~eam g~avels and th~ough dif-
fuse seeps with a ve~y small amount entering f~om su~face runoff of
intermittent t~ibuta~ies.

Twenty identified
located about 3 mi les
Sp~ings.

springs entering the Colo~ado
southwest of Dot8e~0 and 12 in

Ri ve~ inc lude 8
or nea~ Glenwood

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At its headwate~s in the mountains of north-ct!nt~al Colo~ado, the
Colo~ado Rive~ has a salinity concent~ation of 50 millig~ams pe~ lite~

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