Featured Lake
Grand Lake
An Interview with Pat Raney, Grand Lake, Colorado by Sarah Clements
I first meet Pat Raney in Grand Lake the summer of 1996. I credit her and Stoddard White (please see article below) for the citizen-based volunteer water quality monitoring program on Grand Lake and introducing me to NALMS and CLRMA. Pat Raney continues to be a strong voice in the Grand Lake community for water quality and is currently involved in CLRMA’s Colorado Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program through Grand County's Volunteer Secchi Program.
How did you get involved with taking Secchi disk measurements and water quality monitoring on Grand Lake?
I started doing water quality sampling when I first moved to Grand Lake in June of 1996. I had been living in Colorado Springs where I developed a middle school curriculum for the Colorado Springs Water Department. Through my research I learned all about trans-mountain diversion, the history of water in Colorado, and about water-waste water treatment issues. Before I moved to Colorado Springs, I had lived in the Midwest so I was fascinated by the way water was managed in the West.
I met Stoddard White at a water quality meeting in Granby and began helping him do water sampling on Grand Lake. Stoddard was a volunteer who was trained by the Water Quality Control Division. They supplied him with the necessary equipment and testing of samples. While we took Secchi measurements, we did much other sampling as well using a probe to measure temperature and dissolved oxygen down to 65' below the surface. We would go out on the lake every Friday morning at 8 am. I still try to get out to do the Secchi sampling once a week during the summer and early fall.
After the town of Grand Lake put in the storm drain in the late 1990s, Stoddard and I also took samples of the run-off into Grand Lake under the supervision of the Water Quality Control Division. These samples were analyzed by the Water Quality Control Division. Luckily the town is now in the process of installing a proper storm drain system to replace the late 1990s one. This is a very important commitment from the town to protect Grand Lake.
I have been involved in the Three Lakes Watershed Association activities since 1996, and am now also a member of the Greater Grand Lake Shoreline Association. I have attended two NALMS conventions -- one in Banff, Canada and one in Madison, WI. I always enjoyed those gatherings and learned a lot about water quality issues in other areas.
What changes have you observed over the years in water quality and clarity in Grand Lake?
I have definitely noticed that the water quality of Grand Lake was degrading in the past 14 summers. When we moved to Grand Lake (1996), we could see the rocks on the bottom of the lake very clearly. I remember this because our first summer on the lake, when my daughter-in-law's sunglasses fell into the water off the end of the dock, we could clearly see them resting on the bottom. We tried to dive down to retrieve the sunglasses, but the water was too deep. The sunglasses are still on the bottom of the lake, but we can't see them any more.
We now have weeds growing in the shallow areas around our dock and in our boat house. The rocks are also covered with a fuzzy, slippery scum (algae) so my grandchildren don't like to walk into the water anymore. We no longer can keep our ladder in the water because it would also get covered with the slippery scum (algae).
What actions do you think need to occur to improve the water clarity in Grand Lake?
*Interviewer's Note: Pat Raney asked that I include some of John Stahl's information on clarity in Grand Lake and the proposed tunnel options. A link will be set up on the CLRMA website to the Greater Grand Lake Shoreline Association website where the noted information can be reached.
How can other people (the community) get involved in helping to improve water clarity in Grand Lake?
The community of Grand Lake can help by learning about how the water diversion system works and becoming aware of the problems. They are welcome to join the Three Lakes Watershed Association and/or the Greater Grand Lake Shoreline Association for more information on how to get involved. – Pat Raney
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REFLECTIONS: Raising the “Barr “for a High Plains Reservoir in Colorado by Steve Lundt, CLM, January, 2009
Located on the high plains of central Colorado, just 19 miles northeast of downtown Denver, Barr Lake is a warm-water, 33,100 acre-foot reservoir with an excellent fishing and a wildlife refuge. This 100-year old irrigation reservoir owned by the Farmer’s Reservoir and Irrigation Company (FRICO) is becoming an important source of drinking water for the Front Range and now has a new watershed association to help with water quality. The Barr Lake & Milton Reservoir Watershed (BMW) Association is gearing up to improve the water quality by helping the state develop a pH TMDL and nutrient standards.
In the early 1900s, FRICO purchased Oasis Reservoir and double its’ size to 1,868 acres and renamed it Barr Lake. Water from Barr is decreed for domestic municipal uses, augmentation, livestock watering, and unrestricted agricultural use. The 37-foot deep reservoir is filled via surface water diverted from the South Platte River at the Burlington headgate (just downstream of Denver) and also from Metro Wastewater Reclamation District effluent which is pumped into the Burlington Canal by the demand of FRICO and their water right agreements with Denver Water. Barr is filled through the winter and is generally topped off during the spring runoff. Releases typically begin in May and continue through the irrigation season until the end of September. The residence time is roughly 260 days.
The history of Barr Lake’s water quality has been a rough one. For 50+ years, raw sewage, primary-treated effluent, stockyard waste, and other high-organic runoff filled Barr Lake. The water quality hit an all-time low in the 1950’s when the entire Burlington Canal and Barr Lake became anoxic for months at a time, blanketing the nearby community of Brighton with hydrogen sulfide odors. The regional wastewater treatment facility was upgraded in 1964, and just within 15 years the lake improved so much that it became a state park by 1978.
Today, over 300 species of birds have been identified at the park. Last year, 2006 marked the 20th consecutive year for having a successful pair of bald eagles nest on the lake. Barr Lake State Park allows motorboats with 10 horsepower or less. Barr Lake State Park is a day-use only park and does not offer camping or swimming.
With the addition of adding domestic drinking water use the lake, water quality improvements are still needed. Barr Lake was listed in 2002 on the state’s 303(d) list of impaired waters for exceedance of the upper pH limit of 9.0. The problem is still the excessive loading of nutrients that then trigger algae blooms. The blooms then increase the pH level above 9.0 for most of the summer months.
The BMW Association is a newly formed non profit group that is taking on the task of working on the watershed so that the lake can be de-listed. In the next couple of years, the BMW association will be modeling the watershed and reservoir which will then lead to helping the state develop a pH TMDL and nutrient standards. Through collaborative stakeholder efforts, the BMW Association has developed a Watershed Plan. To read this plan and learn more about Barr Lake, go to www.barr-milton.org.
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Blue Mesa Reservoir by Vic Lucero, July, 2007
I attended Western State College from 1968 to 1972 and during this time I enjoyed many wonderful experiences at Blue Mesa. It is located just eight miles west of Gunnison so I was able to slip away between classes for a little fishing. I am not able to spend much time at the reservoir now but I do have many fond memories of Blue Mesa from my college days.
Blue Mesa Dam was completed in 1965 creating the largest body of water in Colorado. Blue Mesa is one of the three dams designated as the Wayne Aspinall Storage Unit of the Upper Colorado River Storage Project (UCRSP). The other two dams are the Morrow Point Dam and the Crystal Dam 12 miles and 18 miles, respectively, below Blue Mesa Dam. The purpose of the three dams is to store water, produce electricity and regulate flow. Together the three dams produce enough hydroelectric power to support a community of 240,000. The Blue Mesa Dam is a 390 ft. high earth and rock fill dam with an elevation of 7,519 ft. The reservoir is 20 miles long with 96 miles of shoreline.
Human artifacts found in the area date back 10,000 years including remains of structures called “wickiups” that date back 4,500 years. Fur traders trapped in the area along the Old Spanish Trail from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. In 1882 the Denver & Rio Grand Western Railroad built a narrow gauge railroad which spurred the development of Gunnison and other small towns in the area. The railroad transported ore, coal, cattle and other goods and was operated until 1949.
Just 3 years after Blue Mesa was constructed an ambitious young man from Westminster Colorado moved to Gunnison to attend Western State College. Western State had somehow gained a reputation for being a party school. If there was a lot of partying going on, I wouldn’t have known because my roommates and I were, at every opportunity, enjoying the hunting and fishing in the area. Much of our time was spent at Blue Mesa. Fishing was the biggest attraction for me. We used to go out to the dam between 10pm and 12am. The dam was lighted attracting some very large trout. Through experimentation we discovered that a green spoon with black speckles and a silver back was an assume lure. We caught many trout over 3 pounds this way. We would frequently take our catch to the Cattleman’s Inn in Gunnison. They had a deal where you gave them 4 trout and they would cook two of them for you served with salad, a potato and a beverage for only $2.00 (gas was only 45 cents/gallon); a great deal for a hungry college student with limited resources.
The ice fishing was also great. I remember one very cold windy day we decided to go out to Blue Mesa for some ice fishing. We had packed our lunch in a paper grocery bag. I sat the bag down on the ice to start drilling a fishing hole. The wind grabbed our lunch and pushed it down the lake on the smooth ice surface. I began to chase after it but it was soon out of sight.
Not all of my experiences were wonderful. One of my roommates father loaned us his motor boat. We decided to take it out to the lake one weekend in May 1969 for some waterskiing. I did not know how to water ski so I got drug throw the frigged water for about two miles before I decided to give it up. My ego caused me to stay in that water for far too long. I got out of the water and got a case of the chills and shakes that lasted for about 4 hours. I am surprised that I was able to father children after that experience. Take my word for it, Blue Mesa is not a good water skiing destination. Another demonstration of poor judgment came when my room mates talked me into going with them to Blue Mesa to jump off the bridge that crosses the lake at the inlet. It was in the spring and an early run-off had filled the lake to capacity bringing the water level to within 15 to 20 feet of the bridge. I was the last to jump and the only one to perform a perfect 10.0 belly flop. You only need to do that once to satisfy your urge to jump off a bridge into freezing water.
Then there were the keggers at the Stueben Creek inlet. There was a big mud hole that I got drug through a few times when I was on the loosing tug of war team. The keggers were only $1.50 for all you could drink. Maybe the Stueben Creek Keggers contributed to Western State’s party image. They may also have contributed to me becoming a city water department employee instead of a dentist like my mother wanted me to be. There were many more great experiences that keep Blue Mesa close to my heart. I would recommend spending some of your recreational time at Blue Mesa; you won’t be sorry. If you have some of your own experiences surrounding Blue Mesa, I would appreciate you calling me and sharing them with me (my number is on the website). We may even include them in a future Clarion edition.
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Reflections - Twin Lakes, Colorado - the "Lake Mendota of the Rockies" by Sharon Campbell, October 2007
I came to Colorado in June, 1978 with a relatively new degree in Biology from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. I had been hired as a Biological Technician by the Bureau of Reclamation in the Environmental Sciences Section for the Mt. Elbert Pumped-Storage Powerplant studies of the effects of powerplant operation on the ecology of Twin Lakes, Colorado. I worked with several other scientists collecting limnological data at Twin Lakes for over 8 years. Data collection was supposed to consist of 1 - 2 years of pre-operational, and 1- 2 years of post-operational efforts to determine how the ecology of the lake responded to powerplant operation. We ended up with 14 years of pre-operations data and just 2 years of post-operational data collections because construction and equipment installation was delayed.
In retrospect, the data collection and sample processing for the studies at Twin Lakes were the ultimate limnology training course for the group of scientists who participated in the process. In September, we had a small reunion to honor Jim Sartoris, who retired to Hawaii 2 years ago. Jim LaBounty, Jim Sartoris and I spent part of the evening remembering Twin Lakes and all of us agree that it was the best time of our professional careers. We all shared a common body of work that was interesting, challenging, and rewarding. We were all stimulated creatively by the depth of understanding we gained about lake ecology and Twin Lakes response to hydrology, meteorology, and perturbation, once the powerplant began to operate.
We were also challenged by working at high altitude, doing year-round surveys using boats during the ice-free seasons and snowmobiles, dragging sleds or on snowshoes during the winter. Before the powerplant began operation, we actually drove a big suburban out on the ice and drilled through up to 3 feet of ice to lower our equipment and sampling gear. On many occasions in winter, the handlines froze solid as we pulled them out of the hole in the ice and made a free-form ice sculpture behind us! We have tales of frostbite, breaking through the ice and having to be winched out, wind and thunderstorms in both summer and winter that caused us to run for cover. During one memorable winter survey, there was so much static electricity in the atmosphere that the spud bar we used to break ice with, was actually vibrating and humming as it stood upright in the ice. My acrylic knit hat had an aura of fuzz sticking straight out in all directions and every time my colleague, Steve Hiebert, bent down and straightened up, he got a shock from his metal framed eyeglasses. We could hear thunder rolling across the lake and the snow was falling around us like giant feathers sifting down from a featherbed that had somehow split in the clouds above us. We should have run for cover that time as well, but were too ignorant to realize the danger that the ionic charge represented. Fortunately, we completed the survey without harm to either us or any of the equipment.
Twin Lakes was the place where I actually experienced “lake turnover”, as the lakes developed a thermocline each summer in the ice-free season. I learned to recognize diatoms, desmids, chrysophytes, copepods, rotifers, and cladocerans in the plankton samples I processed. I learned to conduct radioisotope uptake tests and process samples. I learned to collect and process cholorphyll biomass samples and did the same for benthic invertebrate samples. I learned to measure physical-chemical parameters and collect samples for water quality constituents. I learned to work and share information with a group of colleagues who shared the same interests and were always willing to discuss, inform and teach each other about lakes, lake functioning and ecology. And at the end, I also learned how to enter the data to both mainframe and desktop computers and utilize the information to analyze and interpret the results to help us all understand how the ecology of Twin Lakes responded to perturbation from pumped-storage powerplant operation. I will be forever grateful for being able to participate in the Twin Lakes studies and be a graduate of the LaBounty school of limnology at the “Lake Mendota of the Rockies”.
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REFLECTIONS: “Boulder Reservoir; a Retrospective Look”, by Jim Shelley City of Boulder, Source Water Quality Program Manager, January, 2008
Boulder Reservoir is a place near the city, yet peaceful to visit. There are times when the water is like glass and times when the reservoir is a roaring monster with waves four feet high. Most of the time the water has a greenish-tan color due to light reflecting off suspended inorganic fine silt/clay and dissolved solids rather than organic matter or phytoplankton.
Boulder Reservoir was constructed in 1955 for irrigation and drinking water. It’s owned by the City of Boulder and operated by Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. Boulder Reservoir is a class one warm water fishery. It’s a low volume shallow (depth normally ranges from nineteen to twenty-eight feet deep) reservoir with a surface area of 640 acres and a capacity of 13,000 acre-feet. Ninety percent of the water in the reservoir comes from the Boulder Feeder Canal (BFC). Both the BFC and Boulder Reservoir are part of the 954 square mile Colorado Big Thompson River Project (CBT) which includes the Windy Gap watershed project.
Boulder Reservoir is a multi-use reservoir. It is used for drinking water, irrigation and recreation such as boating, skiing, fishing, swimming, hiking/jogging and wildlife observation. Boulder Reservoir resources currently supply twenty percent of Boulder's drinking water.
The Boulder Reservoir natural watershed encompasses a ten square mile area north of Boulder and just east of the foothills. The land adjacent to the reservoir is seventy percent city open space with well-managed grazing, light recreation and grass/hay crop production. Also within this watershed are Lake Valley Estates and golf course, plus Left Hand Valley Reservoir.
This watershed is a haven for wildlife, over the years I’ve observed osprey, marsh hawks, bald eagles, swanson’s hawks, ferruginous hawks, herons, great horned owls, burrowing owls, american bittern, egrets, white pelicans and western grebes. While sampling Boulder Reservoir tributaries, I always love hearing the whoooppppp of the black swift feeding on airborne small insects. This noise comes from their wings when they dive. Boulder Reservoir is a favorite stopping place for migratory birds and its watershed provides nesting habitat for many bird species. The fisheries include bluegill, catfish, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, walleye and yellow perch. I’ve heard stories of a twelve pound walleye which was caught in Boulder Reservoir.
Numerous recreational events are held at Boulder Reservoir, this is because the area has a feel of being in the country amidst tremendous views of the flatirons, mountains and Haystack Mountain. In 2002, “The Day on the REZ” was held at Boulder Reservoir. This CLRMA event was conducted on a picture perfect day with demonstration/vendor activities on the water and on shore, ending with a canoe race. One of CLRMA’s influential leaders and one of our CU work study students won the race due to the fact that they started thirty yards out in front of everyone as to avoid collisions at the starting line. Next time this leader will have to spot us thirty yards and he has to team up with another lake professional not one of our young strong work study students!
While sampling around Boulder Reservoir, one can watch paratroopers soar through the sky and remote control model airplanes and helicopters buzz through the air. To the west of Boulder Reservoir, there is a model airplane airport equipped with a paved runway. Every Monday morning in the south-west corner of the reservoir, the remote control pontoon airplanes land and take off of the water.
I’ve been involved with many special studies on Boulder Reservoir over the past fifteen years. Some of the studies conducted were:
- USGS loading and transport study
- CU-Center for Limnology
- Optimization of reservoir withdrawal elevation
- Analysis of modeling results
- Drifter study
- Water quality drought analysis
- Canal inflow mixing study
- Source of selected metals from in treatment plant sludge
- EPA national lakes survey
Some of my most memorable times were when a CU researcher who is now working for the state of Colorado broke out the floating drifter equipment which incorporated his wife’s old nylon stockings. I will never forget the time during the recent EPA national lakes survey when one of USGS’s pre-selected GPS habitat assessment sites put us smack dab in the middle of the nude swim beach! We had to use quick evasive action to avoid disturbing their peaceful tranquility. It’s rumored that one of the remote controlled helicopters equipped with a small camera is patrolling the remote areas around the reservoir.
The energizer bunny monitoring program, as I refer to it, is our monthly monitoring program. The monitoring program has been up and running for fifteen years and it keeps going and is never totally completed. However, it’s very important that monitoring programs like this continue. Without good solid baseline trending information over time, it’s impossible to predict water quality change, plan and design the best fit treatment plant processes or know when reoccurring reservoir source water problems occur. We continue to use our environmentally friendly canoe monitoring procedures without one injury or loss of equipment.
Boulder Reservoir is mesotrophic when looking at chlorophyll a numbers. Trends in chlorophyll a numbers are increasing slightly over time. The reservoir goes anoxic at the bottom early in the summer due to a small hypolimnion volume. However, the bottom water can be re-oxygenated by high irrigation flows through the reservoir which remove anoxic bottom water and replace it with oxygenated surface water. The reservoir is typically nitrogen limited during the summer. Another phytoplankton limiting factor is reduced light penetration due to suspended very fine inorganic silt/clay.
For the first time in 2007 aquatic vegetation started to become a concern in shallower water within the western portion of the reservoir. Curly Leaf Pondweed (Potamogeton Crispus) was identified which is considered an invasive species. We will attempt to map aquatic vegetation for the first time in Boulder Reservoir this coming summer and hope to continue an annual mapping effort to establish how much this plant is spreading. Everything I’ve read about curly leaf pondweed says it’s not as dominate as other aquatic invasive plants because it dies off in late spring allowing natives to grow. Last summer in Boulder Reservoir, this plant persisted into the fall. Please contact me if anyone has observed curly leaf pondweed thriving throughout the summer.
Another change we’re seeing in Boulder Reservoir is an increase in a very small (1 um) colonial blue green algae, Aphanothece smithii. Over the last two years cell counts have peaked above 200,000 per ml yet the chlorophyll a numbers remained fairly low, below six ug/L. Low chlorophyll a can be explained by this particular algae’s very small size. We had a fairly bad (musty, dirty-MIB/geosmin type) taste in the water last October through mid-November, which coincided with one of these Aphanothece blooms. If anyone has associated this particular algae with a difficult to reduce drinking water taste please let me know. Also, at what concentration (number per ml), does this very small blue green algae become a drinking water taste problem?
CLRMA is planning another Day on the Rez at Boulder Reservoir to coincide with lake appreciation month this year. Lake and shore demonstrations along with a vendors show is in the works for this event. Since the canoe race was such a hit last time we are scheduling the 2nd Day on the Rez canoe race. Hope to see all of you there.
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Reflections: Standley Lake by Kelly Cline, October, 2008
The Standley Lake story began as Blue Bird Jones Lake, which was owned by Joseph Standley. This lake was below Kinnear Lake on Big Dry Creek. It was the largest natural body of water in Jefferson County. Joseph Standley told this little lake that some day “you will be a great big reservoir and I will call you Standley.” Joseph formed the Denver Reservoir Irrigation Company and began proposing this reservoir to anyone who would listen.
“This reservoir will cover 2000 acres and have an earth filled dam a mile long and a thousand feet wide,” exclaimed Joseph Standley. “A mile long dam, and made of dirt? Are you crazy?” exclaimed the water purveyors. No it turns out Joseph wasn’t crazy. His company later became the Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company (FRICO) as I understand it and Standley Lake was born.
Standley Lake was originally constructed as part of the Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company (FRICO) system for agricultural users. Standley Lake was constructed on Big Dry Creek during 1907 to 1912.
The present reservoir covers approximately 1200 surface acres, with adjoining land covering an additional 2000 acres, which together make up the Standley Lake Regional Park. A total of 42,000 acre feet of water can be stored in Standley Lake. The residence time is about 1.0-1.2 years.
About 96% of the water is received from Clear Creek via irrigation canals, with additional water coming in from adjacent drainages and trans-basin deliveries. Water from Standley Lake is used as a municipal water supply for Westminster, Northglenn and Thornton and as an agricultural water supply for FRICO. Storage space in Standley Lake is allocated among the parties based on their water rights, ownership of storage capacity, and contractual agreements. Standley Lake Regional Park is a popular destination for fisherman, boaters, camping folks, wildlife watchers and weekend “get the heck away from home” travelers.
Drinking It Up: Standley Lake Becomes a Municipal Water Supply
In the summer of 1962, poor drinking water quality from Kershaw ditch triggered complaints from Westminster citizens that eventually culminated in the “Mothers’ March on City Hall”. After two failed referendums to pursue water from Denver, citizens of Westminster approved a 3.5 million dollar bond for the City to buy into the Standley Lake system. An agreement was reached with FRICO in 1963, which called for Westminster to rehabilitate the capacity of the reservoir and in return Westminster received the use of the reservoir capacity exceeding 30,000 acre feet. The rehabilitation was completed in 1966.
Is this the end of the story? Oh no! Some time in the 70’s, Thornton and Northglenn were attempting to develop additional water supply and eventually an agreement between Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn and FRICO was negotiated regarding Standley Lake. The so called “Four –Way Agreement” was signed in 1977 and resolved many conflicts between the parties and established a committee with one representative from each of the entities to manage and operate the lake.
In 1977 and early 1980’s, taste and odor events occurred that brought to light the sensitivity of the “new” water supply. It turned out that there was a plethora of problems to solve. One issue was nutrient rich and metal laden storm water being delivered to Standley Lake through the feeder canals. A resolution was developed through the canal companies that required developers in the watershed to bypass storm water from the canals. All the major drainages were bypassed from the canal except one.
Another issue the Standley Lake users faced was from Coors et al, discharging wastewater effluent into Clear Creek. In 1988, an agreement was signed that had the discharge being delivered below the diversion canals. With all the Standley Lake users and increased focus on source water protection the Cities formed a new management group focused on protecting and enhancing the water quality of Standley Lake, which today is called the Standley Lake Cities.
The first order of business for the Standley Lake Cities was to propose a rule making before the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission, to establish a nutrient limitation standard for Standley Lake. The proposal was opposed and defeated. Alternate approaches were established in 1993 with the Clear Creek Watershed Management Agreement. The Standley Lake Cities, FRICO, and 20 wastewater and land use entities in the Upper Clear Creek and Standley Lake basins agreed to a narrative standard for Standley Lake. It read, “The trophic status of Standley Lake shall be maintained as mesotrophic as measured by a combination of common indicator parameters such as total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, secchi depth, and dissolved oxygen. Implementation of this narrative standard shall only be by Best Management Practices and controls implemented on a voluntary basis.”
In 1993, a combined monitoring program was developed by the participating parties and an annual report is delivered to the Water Quality Control Commission on a yearly basis. So all is well…right? Oh no! Rising concerns about Rocky Flats storm water led to the Standley Lake Protection Project and the construction of the Woman Creek Reservoir and the Kinnear Ditch Pipeline. These projects were primarily funded by the Department of Energy for 30 million dollars to protect Standley Lake from Rocky Flats storm water.
How about now? Is the lake protected yet? Nope! Around 2000, Black Hawk-Central City proposed taking water from Clear Creek and replacing it with wastewater effluent upstream of the canals that divert to Standley Lake. Oh no! Not again! Yep! Back to negotiations! The stipulation that was reached required Black Hawk-Central City to implement wastewater treatment with biological nutrient removal, partially funded by the downstream entities.
So what could possibly be next? Well, in 2004, The Standley Lake Dam Renovation Project was completed that re-developed the spillway, moved the outlet works, and stabilized the mile long earthen dam. Did you say mile long earthen dam? Yep! What, are you crazy? Nope! Okay, what about today? What is going on? Are you done yet?
The threat of storm water from development west of the lake was significantly reduced by the construction of the Church Ditch Water Quality Project in 2008. This project basically changed the location of the Church Ditch turnout to Standley Lake and used the existing Church Ditch on the west side of the lake for capturing overland storm water flows so that it could be diverted around the lake.
Standley Lake: It Isn’t Just For Drinking
Enough already about water quality protection! Tell us something interesting about the park! In 1994, Westminster started developing the Standley Lake Regional Park with Jefferson County. In 1998, Westminster annexed some existing Jefferson County land to form Standley Lake Regional Park. Land uses in and around the lake and recreational practices are regulated by the Standley Lake Park IGA. The IGA was developed by Westminster, Northglenn, and Thornton to protect the water quality of Standley Lake.
There is limited recreation on the lake. Boating is allowed from May 1st – Sept 30th. No more than 150 boats are allowed on the lake at one time, however boats that have greater than 20 hp may purchase a seasonal permit. Boats with less than 20 hp motors, electric engines, or are non-motorized are allowed with a daily permit. There is a lovely four-lane boat ramp which is available to accommodate boaters in the park and a fish cleaning station for fisherman who catch their dinner. Visitors can also water ski and sail board, but there is absolutely no swimming or over night boat mooring allowed. Several horseshoe pits and volleyball courts are also available to entertain visitors when they aren’t off boating or fishing.
Standley Lake offers a comfort station that includes restrooms, drinking fountain and pay phones located near the 60 designated campsites which have both picnic tables and fire pits. Season permit holders may camp in the undeveloped campsites throughout the park. Camping is available May 1st- Sept 29th, on a first come first serve basis, however no hookups or dump stations are available. Pets are welcome, but they are not allowed in the water at any time, and they must be on a leash.
The Standley Lake Nature Center is also a great place to see history and examples of wildlife of the park. Access to the park is made easy, as in addition to the main entrances, there are two adjacent parking lots available for walk-in access.
Standley Lake is a popular destination for fisherman and is a host to a variety of fish species. Rainbow trout, brown trout, walleye, yellow perch, crappie, channel catfish, large and smallmouth bass, wipers, stripers, sunfish, and bluegill. The lake is stocked regularly throughout the summer by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The Colorado State walleye record came from Standley Lake. The walleye weighed 18 pounds, 13 oz., caught in 1997.
Standley Lake is also a great place to bird watch. Many water birds have been observed at Standley. The year 2001 marked the first time in recent years that great blue herons were known to nest by the lake. Other birds regularly observed at the lake include white pelicans, western grebes, cormorants, gulls, Canadian geese, and a variety of ducks. For several years Standley Lake has been the home to nesting bald eagles. Other raptors seen are Swainson’s hawks, prairie falcons and red-tailed hawks.
All these birds can be observed while hiking, biking, or horse back riding more than 14 miles of maintained trails. All trails within the park are open to visitors year-round. Other trails that connect to Standley trails are the Big Dry Creek trail, Farmers High Line Canal trail and a substantial network of different trails on the South side of the lake which link to 63 miles of off road trail outdoor bliss.
In 2008, steps were taken by the City of Westminster to protect the lake from aquatic nuisance species. Since aquatic hitch hikers have been spread throughout the United States via recreational water craft and fisherman a system of inspecting, tagging, and quarantine time was developed in order for boating to continue to be allowed on Standley Lake. No boat or water craft is allowed on Standley Lake until it has met all the requirements of this new inspection program. Wash stations and ranger inspection stations were put in place to guarantee the integrity of the boats entering the lake. Basically, any boat on entering the park will be inspected. If the boat is only used in Standley Lake, and it is on a trailer, then it will receive a green tag, which signifies that this is a Standley Lake boat. If the boat is only ever used on Standley it will continue to receive the green tag and can forgo power washing and quarantine. If a boat on a trailer goes to other lakes it will receive a red tag, which means it has to be washed, and stored dry for a designated time. Any boat that goes to another lake will be absolutely sterilized, via hot wash and quarantine, before it is allowed to launch in the lake. Upon departure from the lake, the boats will be tagged with a green tag. If this tag is broken, when upon arrival again to Standley Lake, the boat will have to go through the washing and quarantine procedure again. Other watercraft, or boats that are not on a trailer will be require to be inspected and washed before going into the lake every time.
One aquatic nuisance species that has already impacted Standley Lake arrived around 1995. This was an aquatic plant called Eurasian Water milfoil. Milfoil can grow down to depths of 30 feet and can choke out the shallow areas of a Lake. Milfoil interferes with fishing and boating and is considered a real nuisance by people who recreate on lakes. Milfoil grows in dense mats and chokes out beneficial native species of aquatic vegetation, and creates areas where blooms of blue-green algae can occur. These blue-green algae blooms can cause major taste and odor events in drinking water. During 2002-2003, the Standley Lake Cities pilot tested a biological treatment method, called the Milfoil Process. This process incorporated the use of Eurasian water milfoil weevils, which in various life stages consume the milfoil. During the periods of 2004, 2005, and 2006, over 140,000 weevils were stocked in Standley. The weevils have managed to establish a sustainable population and have demonstrated some control over the milfoil density.
In closing, it seems safe to say that Standley Lake is a highly managed system that has been laced with challenges and successes from the beginning. This lake would not be in the shape that it is in today if not for all the hard work and efforts put in place by many different entities, and groups. Watershed protection, water quality, water resources and controlled development have all been critical steps in the protection of the quality of water in the lake. The historic efforts that have gone into protecting this reservoir will hopefully serve to demonstrate the effort that is required to maintain a good water quality system and inspire the continuation of collaborative efforts by all involved to guarantee its future success.
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Reflections: Dillon Reservoir by Ann Depperschmidt, Denver Water Community Relations, April, 2009
Just after Ron Sampson graduated from Idaho Springs High School in 1960, several of his friends spent a summer moving the Dillon Cemetery to higher ground.
They were helping Denver Water make way for a new reservoir, one that would eventually become one of Colorado’s largest bodies of water.
“I thought it was exciting,” said Sampson, who now lives in Arizona. “It provided a lot of jobs.”
In the early part of the 20th century, it became clear that Denver’s growing population would need more water supply than the South Platte River could provide. Officials started looking at West Slope water as a way to supplement East Slope water. In the 1950s, crews began building the Roberts Tunnel, a concrete-lined, 23-mile tunnel that could move water from the West Slope through the mountains to the East Slope.
As part of the tunnel project, Denver Water moved forward with plans to build Dillon Reservoir at the west portal of Roberts Tunnel. To do that, however, the water utility had to relocate the town of Dillon. “I remember some of the old-timers arguing about whether it was good or bad,” Sampson said. “But all of us kids were excited.”
The site, about 70 miles west of Denver, was ideal for Denver Water because of the large basin for water storage, the ability to send water via gravity down the Roberts Tunnel and the confluence of three rivers – the Blue River, Snake River and Ten Mile Creek – according to Sandra Mather’s book, Dillon, Denver and the Dam.
Denver Water had been buying land near the site since the Depression, and by the mid 1950s, it owned most of the town of Dillon. In the late 1950s, Dillon’s town government began making plans to relocate the town, choosing its current location from three possible sites.
Moving the cemetery was one of many things that had to happen before the dam could be built – vacant houses had to be torn down, 13 miles of highway had to be rerouted, and a hydroelectric generating plant and a U.S. Forest Service ranger station had to be moved. Most townspeople took advantage of Denver Water’s offer to rebuild or relocate the buildings that had to be removed for the project.
In the end, it took two years and 12 million cubic yards of fill to build the 231-foot-tall dam. When the reservoir opened in 1963, its 254,036 acre-feet capacity almost doubled Denver’s raw water storage. And, with more than 26 miles of shoreline, it quickly became one of the prime recreation spots in the state.
“People absolutely love Dillon,” said Denver Water’s recreation manager Neil Sperandeo, who, as a child in Arvada read stories in the Denver newspapers about Dillon Reservoir’s construction. “You can stay in the Dillon area and be entertained all day long.” The high alpine reservoir is easily accessible to people on the east and west of the state via Interstate 70. The towns of Dillon and Frisco have marinas at the reservoir, and boating, fishing, camping and picnicking are all popular activities there.
In the late 1980s, Denver Water signed an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, the towns of Dillon and Frisco, and Summit County to manage the recreation of Dillon Reservoir. The agencies employ boat patrols and maintain 313 campsites and various picnic sites and trails in the area, Sperandeo said.
Throughout the summer, people camp, sailboat, kayak, bike, fish and enjoy the mountains surrounding Dillon. And, on a good windy day in the winter, people ice sail and kite board across the frozen reservoir.
“It used to be that the area’s economy was based on skiing in the winters,” Sperandeo said. “Now Dillon is a draw to the area in the summers too.”
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Reflections: The mystery of Lake San Cristobal: A natural lake no more? by Lyn Lampert and Camille Richard, Chair and Coordinator, respectively, of the Lake Fork Watershed Stakeholders, Lake City, CO, July, 2008.
Like a captivating Agatha Christie novel, Lake San Cristobal is a beautiful mystery. The more one learns about this centerpiece of Hinsdale County, the more unanswered questions one finds.
Somehow, it is uniquely refreshing, though, in this age of quantification and precise explanation, to find something that defies complete understanding and description. Lake San Cristobal is one such place, whose manifold mysteries only add to its enchanting allure.
The first written record of the glories of this body of water was compiled by a small Army expedition doing the “Reconnaissance of the Ute Country” in 1873. This expedition, led by Lt. E. H. Ruffner, produced the first accurate descriptions of many parts of the San Juan for the outside world. The expedition approached the lake from upstream after doing work in the Baker’s Park (now Silverton) district. As beautiful as the lake is today, it must have been an incredible gem in 1873, without roads, power lines or habitation. Indeed, Ruffner’s description speaks in glowing terms, praising its islands and coves and abundance of ducks and coots.
The origin of its name remains a mystery. “San Cristobal” is obviously Spanish in derivation, and many Latin American places are named for Saint Christopher. Saint Christopher was a semi-mythical character from the 3rd century, and today is popularly known as the Patron Saint of Travelers. Frank Hall in his authoritative 1895 “History of Colorado” claims the name of ‘Lake Chrystobal’ was given by US engineer corps staff encamped at the lake during the Ute Country reconnaissance, inspired by a poem of Tennyson. This account would gain considerable merit if someone could actually produce the Tennyson poem containing the name ‘Chrystobal’, but even Lake City’s intrepid historian Grant Houston has been unable to find such evidence. Thus, the mystery remains, and whether the inspiration for Lake San Cristobal was a Catholic saint or a Tennyson poem still remains very much an open question.
There is little mystery, however, in how this unique body of water was formed. Had it not been for the famous Slumgullion Slide, the valley of the lake would probably be traversed today by a gentle river in a shallow canyon. About 700 years ago, however, geologists surmise that a massive movement of water saturated earth and rock changed the destiny of the quiet valley forever. The earthflow, originating near the top of Mesa Seco, near Slumgullion Pass, tore a path in the forest several miles long, and came to an oozing halt when it reached the Lake Fork valley. Thus, a natural dam was created, backing up the river for approximately two miles. The slide has caused some problems for lake recreationists in recent years, mainly from silting, but the fact remains that the lake owes its existence to the yellow gumbo surrounding its outlet.
Ranked as Colorado’s second largest natural body of water, after Grand Lake on the western border of Rocky Mountain National Park, the lake is much loved by both visitors and locals. In the 1980’s, the electorate of Hinsdale County decided to place a conservation covenant on the surrounding county land so that it could remain as undeveloped and pristine as possible. However, debate is sometimes rancorous regarding size and actual “natural” lake level with some folks believing that the lake is currently losing acreage due to infilling and a lowering water level, while other old timers insist that the lake has never been higher. The debate continues to the present day, given its checkered history of outlet manipulation by miners of old and current day county officials. Throughout the past century, several structures of various design have been placed in the outlet, ranging from a wooden weir in the early 1950’s (which blew out with heavy flooding) to the current practice of placing rocks in the outlet to maintain an artificially high lake level. This has been done to counter rising sedimentation at the marina near the delta of Slumgullion creek, the conduit for the arsenic laden yellow muck of the slide. Much of this sedimentation is a recent phenomenon, as the creek had been diverted in the 1950’s from its original path to the Lake Fork below, into the lake itself.
The actual lake level continues to be a mystery and a controversy. In the early 1990’s, the Colorado Water Conservancy Board (CWCB) designated a “natural” lake level at 8995 ft and hold the water rights of the lake as part of their in stream flow and natural lake level program. The level was determined during recent history during which time the county has maintained an artificially high water level. As a result of this uncertainty, a new and more permanent threat to the “naturalness” of the lake looms on the horizon. A water release structure to be placed at the outlet is being proposed so that the top three feet of the lake can be reserved as augmentation water, with rights held by Hinsdale County, the Town of Lake City and the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District. This would require that CWCB relinquish their rights of the top three feet of water and designate the natural level at 8992 ft. Emotions run high regarding this proposal, and the county electorate will again come to the voting booths in the fall to determine the fate of our beloved lake.
Perhaps Lake San Cristobal’s greatest mystery of all is its allure that is ever new, no matter how many times you gaze upon its sapphire gleam. Lake San Cristobal is more pronouncedly a different place every season of the year than anywhere else in the valley. In the winter, the lake sleeps. San Cristobal hides its mysteries under a vast sheet of white, speckled only here and there by ice fishermen probing its depths with invisible lines. At rare times of little snow, a thick layer of bare ice covers the lake, creating a gargantuan, glistening skating rink. In the winter, the frozen willow-marsh of its southern shore is home for placid elk, calmly awaiting spring’s thaw. Chickadees and gray jays add life to the otherwise-quiet of the spruce forests of along the border. In the spring, the lake awakens. Its frozen surface becomes a massive jigsaw puzzle as its icy coat weakens. Then, in a day the lake overthrows winter and enthrones glorious spring. The ice is gone, dimples of rising trout appear all over the surface, and huge, monster-like Mackinaw cruise the shallows. Things are changing rapidly, and Lt. Ruffner’s mallards and coots return once again to their mountain home. In the summer, the lake lives. Boats of all varieties cruise its shores, picnickers enliven Red Mountain Gulch picnic area, fishermen jockey for position at the outlet. At the other end, tiny yellow warblers build their nests and bluebirds dart for mayflies. And in the fall, the lake relaxes. Its surface of blue is now tinged with gold, and nothing seems in a hurry. The crowds have gone; it is a time for the lake and its inhabitants to savor life. Even migrating grebes and geese descend for a few days’ relaxation before continuing their travel southward.
Season after season, the true mystery of Lake San Cristobal remains. What will become of its allure when its natural ebb and flow is permanently altered by human tinkering?
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REFLECTIONS: It may be oxygen bubbles to the fish, but its champagne to us. William P. Ruzzo, and Robert McGregor, April, 2008
According to Ed Dentry, Sports writer for the Rocky Mountain News in an article about the pending project in Cherry Creek Reservoir , fish will get “high on oxygenated water and munch a tossed seafood salad.” This fisherman’s dream may become a reality because of the recently installed destratification system at Cherry Creek Reservoir. To the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority (authority), seeing the bubbles for the first time in October 2007 may as well have been champagne flowing, as the event was a milestone in a 25 year effort to control algae in Cherry Creek Reservoir.
Nutrient enrichment study – the start of a solution. In 2003, the authority and the Water Quality Control Division co-sponsored a nutrient enrichment study of Cherry Creek Reservoir which was conducted by Dr. Bill Lewis, et. al., with the University of Colorado. The results of the study showed that algal growth was limited by nitrogen, not phosphorus. Dr. Lewis also noted that “reduction in phosphorus concentrations sufficient to induce phosphorus deficiency in the phytoplankton of year 2003 would involve decreases in upper water column concentrations of at least 50%, or about 30 “g/L”. What this means is that controlling algal growth by reducing nutrients in the Cherry Creek watershed alone is very difficult and that algae must also be controlled “…based on non-nutrient factors”, according to Dr. Lewis. Even though the authority and others have implemented watershed controls with some success, watershed controls alone are not sufficient nor are the phosphorus reductions timely enough to control algae growth in the near future. Therefore, the need for supplemental strategies to control algae growth, such as in-lake management, became more apparent.
Dr. Lewis found that during periods when the reservoir was not being naturally mixed by wind activity, then algal growth activity was at its highest. He determined that the most practical approach to controlling this growth would be to artificially mix the reservoir. Since the reservoir is relatively shallow, it can usually be mixed by normal wind activity. Several times throughout the year, however, extended periods of hot, dry and windless weather cause the lake to stop mixing and to stratify. This stratification not only causes anoxic (lack of oxygen) conditions at the bottom of the reservoir, but also allows blue-green algae to bask in the sunlight on the surface of the reservoir, fixing all the nitrogen they need from the air. And, with plenty of phosphorus in the water, they can reproduce explosively. Thus, an algae bloom is created.
Meanwhile, the anoxic water at the bottom of the reservoir allows previously settled particulate and organic phosphorus and nitrogen in the bottom sediments to dissolve into the water column, so that when the reservoir becomes remixed, due to renewed wind activity, all this re-dissolved phosphorus and nitrogen become available for the blue-green algae during the next round of stratification. To prevent this endless cycle, the authority began to investigate methods to keep the reservoir continuously mixed. By doing this, the blue-green algae would be circulated to the dark depths of the reservoir, preventing them from having access to nitrogen and sunlight at the surface, both of which they need to reproduce. This may also reduce phosphorus and nitrogen from dissolving from the bottom sediments and is the basis for the authority spending almost $900,000 to install a destratification system.
Feasibility, final design, and construction were the next steps. In 2005, the authority retained AMEC Earth and Environmental, an international consulting firm, to conduct a feasibility analysis of various options to mix the reservoir. The AMEC team recommended the installation of a submerged mixing system in the 330 acre portion of the reservoir which is greater than 16 feet deep. The primary objectives for the mixing system were to:
- Destratify and strongly mix the deepest portions of the reservoir,
- Vertically mix algae to compromise their habitat and reduce production of blue-green algae, and
- Oxidize of the deep bottom sediments to reduce the release of nutrients from the sediments into the water column.
After considering the various options and risks associated with such a high profile project, the authority board authorized final design of the destratification system in 2006, which was also prepared by AMEC. The destratification system selected was a fine-bubble aeration system. Separate construction contracts were awarded to supply the compressor, hoses, and fittings. Construction of the underwater work was awarded to Inland Marine of Centennial, Colorado. Construction of the compressor building and other non-underwater components was awarded to American Civil Constructors in Littleton, Colorado. After receiving approval from Colorado State Parks and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, construction began in early 2007.
What’s involved in mixing an 850 acre water body? Lots of hose, fittings, diffusers, and a powerful compressor is the short answer. Air is pumped by a 125 hp compressor at 455 SCFM and 51 psig, which is housed in a 19 by 17 foot block building with a metal roof near the Marina. The air passes through over 40,000 feet of 1-1/4 inch hydraulic hose leading to 102 air diffusers placed at the bottom of the deepest part of the reservoir. These diffusers are expected to move about 1,000,000 gallons of water per minute (approximately 4,400 acre feet per day) which will “turn-over” the mixing zone about once per day.
So how do you get all that air to the 102 diffusers? You construct what has turned out to be the beginning of a very popular trail across much of the face of the dam. Actually, the “trail” was first conceived as an above grade platform by which to contain the 4” HDPE pipe line with separate 1-1/4 inch hydraulic hoses for each of the five diffuser zones and to provide access for maintenance. When it became apparent that this maintenance access could function as a formal park trail, Colorado State Parks agreed to fund the additional costs of constructing the trail to their standards. Even during construction, when the work was shut-down for the evening, people were waiting to access the trail for hiking, fishing, running and simply enjoying the view.
How will we determine if the project works? The ultimate test of whether destratification works will be the reduction of algae biomass and density as measured by chlorophyll a and species identification and enumeration, particularly the blue-green species cyanobacteria. The more immediate test will be to determine if the reservoir stays mixed throughout the algae growing season from May through October, as measured by the vertical temperature and dissolved oxygen profile of the water column.
During the regular growing season, the authority contracts with GEI\Chadwick Division to conduct bi-monthly sampling in the reservoir at three locations. During each sampling episode on the reservoir, three main tasks were conducted, including: 1) determining water clarity; 2) collecting depth profile measurements for temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH conductivity; and 3) collecting water samples for chemical and biological analyses. In anticipation of construction of the destratification system, the authority had GEI install three temperature arrays consisting of Onset HOBO® Water Temp Pro data loggers in the deepest part of the reservoir. These data loggers recorded temperature measurements on 15-minute intervals for each 1 meter water layer. This monitoring program will continue in 2008 to determine how well the reservoir stays mixed and may be extended beyond 2008.
In addition to the temperature loggers at the three monitoring sites, GEI will also perform monthly Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) profiles along a transect through the deep water zone, including measurements near the water/sediment surface during the July to September period. The sample locations and transect will be consistent with locations previously established by AMEC during their destratification feasibility study.
In the mean time, the authority continues to implement watershed management strategies, construction of other more traditional BMPs, such as shoreline and stream stabilization, and education.
Additional information can be obtained from the authority’s website at http://www.cherrycreekbasin.org/