Existing Land Use USACE Fountain Creek Watershed Study Watershed Management Plan, 2009 Pueblo N
Future Land Use (2025) USACE Fountain Creek Watershed Study Watershed Management Plan, 2009 Pueblo N
Project From To Users Acre Feet / year Homestake Eagle River Rampart Reservoir Blue River Blue River North Catamount Reservoir Fry-Ark Roaring Fork WTPs via pipelines from reservoir system Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security Sources: Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) Watershed Flow Evaluation Tool (WFET) Pilot Study Report & SDS FEIS 64,700 7,800 11,700 84,200
No Action = No Federal Action - Still Assumes Growth
Waldo Canyon Burn Area ~ 29 sq. mi. Black Forest ~ 22 sq. mi., most in Fountain Creek watershed 50 sq. mi. total +/- ~ 10% of watershed area above Security Impacts of hydromodification, erosion and sediment transport are severe Eventually watersheds burned will recover but may be 10 years + Urbanization near urban-wildland interface increases opportunities for wildfires
Waldo Canyon Wildfire Increase in Sediment Yield Source: Waldo Canyon Fire Watershed Assessment: The Watershed Assessment of River Stability and Sediment Supply (WARSSS) Results (4/5/13).
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Winter Spring Summer Autumn Mean Daily Streamflow (cu. meters/sec) Monument Creek, Above Woodman Rd, 1997-2010 Sand Creek, 2003-2010 Fountain Creek at Pueblo, 1922-2010 Annual hydrograph of mean-daily streamflow at selected locations in the Fountain Creek watershed, Colorado, (USGS, Stogner et al. 2013)
CUMULATIVE STREAMFLOW 1980-1982 Plausible reasons for changes: Importation of transbasin water from outside the watershed; Sparse spatial distribution of precipitation stations Changes in land use within the watershed could have altered the hydrologic response of the watershed to precipitation events; or Changes are due to combination of these variables (Stogner 2000). CUMULATIVE PRECIPITATION
Streamflow (cfs)
Streamflow (cfs)
Discharge (cfs) Pre 1970 Post 1980 Mean 52 151 Median 8 106 Minimum 0 0 Maximum 10000 11400 Standard Deviation 188 258 N 10500 12784 95% Upper Confidence Interval for Mean 95% Lower Confidence Interval for Mean 56 155 49 146
Time Period/Scenario Stream Flow (acre-feet/year) 1922-1970 37,990 1980-2014 109,135 1980-2014 + SDS Contribution 156,193
Q100 ~ 40,000 cfs
Colorado Water Conservation Board lists Pueblo County DFIRM In Progress
Monument Creek & Sand Creek Bed Material (USGS, 2007) Sand Creek Minimum streamflows in Fountain Creek and its tributaries have the capacity to transport sand-size particles; higher streamflows ranging from 0.28 cubic meters per second (m 3 /s) [9.9 cfs] to 17 m 3 /s [600 cfs] have the capacity to transport gravel-size particles (Mau and others, 2007) Monument Creek
Downstream of. Woodman Road Upstream of Power Plant Near Stratmoor
Fountain Creek at Fountain Fountain Creek at Pueblo
Annual Sediment Discharges for USGS Fountain Creek at Fountain & Pueblo Gauges - Based on Sediment Discharge Effectiveness Curves from CWCB 2009 Location Fountain Creek at Fountain Fountain Creek at Pueblo Difference (Deposition in Reach) Average Annual Sediment Discharge (tons) Pre - 1970 Post - 1980 Increase 106600 546000 439400 38600 183000 144400 68000 363000 295000
1 acre-foot of imported water/year Supports 2 families of 4 Return Flows Added Runoff Impervious Area (0.25 ac) (for houses, roads, etc.) New water in Fountain Creek 0.6 ac-ft /yr + 0.25 ac-ft /yr ~ 0.85 ac-ft/yr
I. Assessment of Conditions in the Fountain Creek Watershed II. Hydrology and Sediment Transport III. Water Quality IV. Water Rights V. What Does This All Mean? VI. How to Address the Problems? VII. Summary of Issues
Arkansas River sample Fountain Creek sample Arkansas River below confluence sample
I. Assessment of Conditions in the Fountain Creek Watershed II. Hydrology and Sediment Transport III. Water Quality IV. Water Rights V. What Does This All Mean? VI. How to Address the Problems? VII. Summary of Issues
I. Assessment of Conditions in the Fountain Creek Watershed II. Hydrology and Sediment Transport III. Water Quality IV. Water Rights V. What Does This All Mean? VI. How to Address the Problems? VII. Summary of Issues
1. Major hydrologic changes in Fountain Creek started around 1980.
2. The hydrologic changes have created stream stability problems with Fountain Creek.
3. Imported water and urbanization in the watershed have caused an increase in streamflow and erosion.
4. The Fountain Creek regime is changing continually.
5. Frequently occurring low flows are responsible for much of the sediment transport in Fountain Creek.