Water Quality Page

250px‎

Water Quality - Colorado River The quality of water in the Colorado River is important. Water quality includes, but not limited to, temperature, water column structure, total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, and chlorophyll.

TBD (Motions)	TBD (TBD)	TBD (TBD)

GROUP MEMBERS

Water Quality Links

General
GCMRC Monitoring Stations Map

[http://www.gcmrc.gov/discharge_qw_sediment/stations/GCDAMP GCMRC Maps and Spatial Data] [1]

Temperature

USGS 09380000 COLORADO RIVER AT LEES FERRY, AZ

USGS 09380000 COLORADO RIVER AT LEES FERRY, AZ

USGS 09421500 COLORADO RV BLW HOOVER DAM, AZ-NV

Salinity

2011 Water quality standards for salinity

[2]

Station ---------------- Salinity in mg/L
- Below Hoover Dam 723
- Below Parker Dam 747
- At Imperial Dam 879

Glen Canyon Dam
USBR TWG Meeting

Lake Mead

NPS Lake water quality and limnology

Nevada USGS

NDEP Lake Mead Water Quality Forum (NDEP)

HFE experiments on water quality (USGS)

Lower Colorado River Studies (USGS)

MONITORING HISTORY

Water-quality sampling in Lake Powell was initiated by the USBR in 1964 and continued through 1990.
Glen Canyon Environmental Studies conducted the monitoring from 1990-1996.
The USGS Water Resources Discipline conducted monitoring in Lake Powell on several dates in 1992, 1994, and 1995.
Since 1997, monitoring has been conducted by the USGS-GCMRC.

State of the Colorado River Ecosystem in Grand Canyon- USGS Circular 1282

'Additional Information

"Cold water temperatures: Cold water temperatures suppress important diseases, parasites, competitors, and predators of native fish."(pg26)

Q: How could increases in salinity levels affect Lake Mead?

A: The associated costs might be felt from homeowners in the form of increases in corrosiveness to water fixtures/ pipes and more salt needed in the water softeners.