Summary of Water-Quality Data, October 1987 through September 1997, for Fountain and Monument Creeks, El Paso and Pueblo Counties, Colorado

by Clifford R. Bossong

Available from the U.S. Geological Survey, Branch of Information Services, Box 25286, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225, USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 00-4263, 69 p., 12 figs., 11 App. figs.

This document also is available in pdf format: WRIR 00-4263.pdf
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Abstract

Fountain and Monument Creeks, which drain parts of El Paso and Pueblo Counties in Colorado, have been sampled systematically by the U.S. Geological Survey for many years to obtain records of water-quality properties and constituents; the data are stored in the National Water Inventory System. Statistical summaries of these data indicate that they have spatial and temporal trends. Comparison of water-quality data to in-stream regulatory standards, some of which were calculated in this report, indicate that some exceedances are widespread in the system and that some occur locally. Nonparametric tests to quantitatively detect monotonic trends in water-quality data indicate that many water-quality properties and constituents do not have significant monotonic trends; detected trends were mostly downward.

Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
     Purpose and Scope
     Description of the Study Area
Water-Quality Station Characteristics and Sampling History
Statistical Summaries
     Methods of Presentation
     General Water-Quality Characteristics
Summary of Water-Quality Characteristics Compared to In-Stream Regulatory Standards
Summary of Monotonic Trends in Water Quality
     Methods Used to Evaluate Monotonic Trends
     Seasons
     Discussion of Monotonic Trends
     Summary of Monotonic Trends for Regulated Water-Quality Properties and Constituents
Summary
References
Appendix