Study Examines Colorado Headwaters Areas

Poor surface-water quality in some Colorado headwaters areas isn’t due to human activities like mining but to geology, according to a new Colorado Geological Society study that examined water quality. The report could help wildlife managers avoid restocking fish where they can’t survive because the water is naturally acidic, and it could help to better focus environmental cleanup efforts, said co-author and former Colorado Geological Survey Deputy Director Matt Sares. It also could help regulators who must set stream water-quality standards. The Colorado Geological Survey study identified streams in 11 headwater areas where surface water is acidic and has high concentrations of metals such as aluminum, manganese and iron, even upstream of any significant human impacts. Of 101 water samples that researchers took, 86 were in areas identified as having no influence from activities related to mining. Of those, 19 percent met state water-quality standards for all tested parameters, the report said...more