State of the Watershed:
Water Quality of Boulder Creek, Colorado

By Sheila F. Murphy

Available from the U.S. Geological Survey, Branch of Information Services, Box 25286, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225, USGS Circular 1284.

This document also is available in pdf format: Circular 1284 (9.2 MB)
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

The citation for this report, in USGS format, is as follows: Murphy, S.F., 2006, State of the Watershed:
Water Quality of Boulder Creek, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1284, 34 p.

The Boulder Creek Watershed, Colorado, varies greatly in geology, climate, and land use. Stream flow originates primarily as snowmelt near the Continental Divide and is subjected to a complex water-management system. These factors lead to substantial temporal and spatial variations in the quantity and quality of water in Boulder Creek. This report presents the state of water quality in the watershed today and in the past, and identifies potential future water-quality concerns.

Contents

Welcome to the Boulder Creek Watershed

Environmental Setting

Hydrology

How does water management affect the flow of Boulder Creek

How clean is the water in Boulder Creek?

Water Quality of Boulder Creek from Top to Bottom

What fish species live in Boulder Creek?

What is the quality of ground water in the Boulder Creek Watershed?

What was the quality of water in the Boulder Creek Watershed in the past?

Timeline for the Boulder Creek Watershed

How does water quality in the Boulder Creek Watershed compare to other Front Range watersheds and to watersheds nationwide?

What will be the water-quality issues in the Boulder Creek Watershed in the future?

Summary

References

Acknowledgments

For more information

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