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Ice-Affected Streamflow Records Using Tracer-Dilution Methods

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Ice-Affected Streamflow Records Using Tracer-Dilution Methods

Study Area: Statewide
Period of Project: October 2001-September 2002
Project Number: CO433
Project Chief: David Clow
Cooperator: Colorado Water Conservation Board

BACKGROUND:

Accurate ice-affected streamflow records are difficult to obtain. The inaccuracy of ice-affected streamflow records is particularly troublesome for small streams where Instream-flow Water Rights exist. The Colorado Water Conservation Board uses these water rights to protect instream aquatic communities. This is a study to determine the usefulness and accuracy of ice-affected streamflow records using a sodium chloride tracer.

OBJECTIVES:

Based on previous studies, an expanded effort to test the tracer-dilution discharge method will be conducted. Two field sites will be used; Brandon Ditch near Whitewater and Keystone Gulch near Keystone. A sodium chloride solution will be injected once per day and a multiple-parameter water-quality probe at the gaging station will measure chloride concentration and conductance. One tracer injection per day will be conducted.

The test at the gaging stations will be run for 25 days, from about January 7 to January 31, 2002. Personnel will visit each site once per day for the first five days to ensure the tracer pump and probe is operating properly. A multi-parameter probe that measures chloride concentrations and conductance will be used. After five days, the tracer pump will continue to operate with field personnel making a site visit every five days at Brandon Ditch. Daily site visits will be required at Keystone Gulch for discharge measurements.

A pump-reliability test will be run for 25 days as well. The pump-reliability test will measure the reliability of each pump-hose combination to consistently pump the same volume of tracer under changing weather conditions over a period of 25 days. The pump volumes will be measured to the nearest 10 milliliters using a 1000 milliliter graduated cylinder. Several measurements will be made during the pump test to include air temperature, battery voltage, and the revolutions of each pump. A pump rate will be calculated based upon the number of revolutions and the volume of each pump revolution and these data will be compared with the volume of the pumped solution.