Blue River Watershed Retrospective Assessment Program
Study Area: Blue River Watershed
Period of Project: January 2000-December 2002
Project Number: CO341
Project Chief: Kirby Wynn
Cooperator: Summit Water Quality Committee
BACKGROUND:
The USGS, in cooperation with the Summit Water Quality Committee, will
assess the quantity and quality of the surface- and ground-water resources
in the Blue River watershed. The study will provide an understanding of
the natural and human factors that affect the quantity and quality of
the water and the stream biota.
OBJECTIVES:
Specific objectives of the study are:
- To characterize existing water-resources and stream-biota data for
the Blue River watershed.
- To analyze historical data and assess the broad-scale geographic and
seasonal distribution of current water-quantity and quality and stream-biota
conditions in the Blue River watershed.
- To summarize the current knowledge of the environmental setting and
identify, describe, and explain, where possible, the major natural and
human factors that affect observed water-quantity and -quality conditions.
- To develop a water-quantity, water-quality, and stream-biota data
base.
- To design a water-quality and stream-biology sampling scheme to fill
data gaps and provide information to address water-quality and water-resource
management concerns based on results of the retrospective analysis.
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