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• Some changes can be noted between the upstream and downstream <br />Raton Creek samples. Turbidity, total suspended solids, total <br />combustable solids, total dissolved solids and nitrates all in- <br />creased to varying degrees after mixing with the outflow from <br />Starkville Gulch. The reason is apparent when the downstream <br />Starkville Gulch results are examined. That water, which originates <br />as a spring from the Vermejo Formation, is of much poorer quality <br />than the creek water. The total dissolved solids are approximately <br />three time higher as are other ions such as sulfate and sodium. <br />Nitrate of 15 mg/1 is unusual in spring water. Increases in other <br />ions are also present in the lower Raton sample, however these <br />cannot be correlated to the spring water (Table 1). <br />The upstream Starkville Gulch sample has low total dissolved <br />solids characteristic of runoff water with little residence time <br />on the soil. Turbidity and suspended solids are high from eroded <br />suspended clays. Nitrate and phosphate are present from decaying <br />• organic matter. The percentage of sulfate is high which may come <br />from oxidized iron minerals associated with surface exposed coal <br />beds. Increase trace metals such as aluminum come from dissolution <br />in soil clays. <br />Samples for determination of turbidity, total suspended solids <br />and total combustable solids were obtained from the upper and <br />lower sections of Starkville Gulch during the rainstorm on May 12, <br />1982. These samples reflect the normal sediment load of the stream <br />during rainfall events and probable contributions to Raton Creek. <br />Results are presented in Table 2. It is noteable that all <br />three parameters are greatly increased in the downstream sample. <br />This is indicative of substantial amounts of erosion. <br /> <br />FISHER, HARDEN b FISHER <br />167 <br />