On This Page
- Colorado Assessment Summary
- Water Quality by Waterbody Type
- Causes of Impairment
- Probable Sources Contributing to Impairments
- Previously Impaired Waters Now Attaining All Uses
- TMDL Alternatives by Cause of Impairment
- Causes of Impairment for 303(d) Listed Waters
- Cumulative TMDLs by Pollutant
- Cumulative Number of TMDLs
Data are also available for these years: 2002 2004 2006
Waterbody Changes from Prior Cycle
Comparison Summary by Reporting Year
For More Information:
Colorado 2008 Water Quality Assessment Report
Colorado Assessment Summary for Reporting Year 2008
Description of this table| Size of Water | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers and Streams (Miles) |
Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres) |
||||||||||||||
| Good Waters | 62,370.4 | 52,635.9 | |||||||||||||
| Previously impaired waters now attaining all uses |
|||||||||||||||
| Threatened Waters | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL completed | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL alternative | |||||||||||||||
| Non-pollutant impairment | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL needed | |||||||||||||||
| Impaired Waters | 10,376.4 | 41,504.1 | |||||||||||||
| TMDL completed | 276.3 | ||||||||||||||
| TMDL alternative | |||||||||||||||
| Non-pollutant impairment | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL needed | 10,098.3 | 41,504.1 | |||||||||||||
| New TMDLs completed | 232.9 | .0 | |||||||||||||
| Remaining TMDLs needed | 9,865.5 | 41,504.1 | |||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||
| Total Assessed Waters | 72,746.9 | 94,139.9 | |||||||||||||
| Total Waters | 107,403.0 | 164,029.0 | |||||||||||||
| Percent of Waters Assessed | 67.7 | 57.4 | |||||||||||||
Summary of Water Quality Assessments for Each Waterbody Type
for Reporting Year 2008
Colorado Assessed Waters
Summary of Water Quality Attainment for Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2008
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colorado Assessed Waters
Designated Use Support for Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2008*
* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.
Description of this table| Designated Use | Miles Assessed | Percent Good | Percent Threatened | Percent Impaired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 69,033.2 | 95.8 | .0 | 4.2 | |
| Aquatic Life Cold Water-Class 1 | 25,934.7 | 92.2 | .0 | 7.8 | |
| Aquatic Life Cold Water-Class 2 | 5,777.2 | 83.4 | .0 | 16.6 | |
| Aquatic Life Warm Water-Class 1 | 1,438.1 | 38.3 | .0 | 61.7 | |
| Aquatic Life Warm Water-Class 2 | 24,632.8 | 80.4 | .0 | 19.6 | |
| Domestic Water Source | 41,089.1 | 96.4 | .0 | 3.6 | |
| Recreation Primary Contact | 44,531.5 | 95.1 | .0 | 4.9 | |
| Recreation Secondary Contact | 15,666.8 | 98.9 | .0 | 1.1 |
Colorado Causes of Impairment
for Threatened and Impaired Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Selenium | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) | Pathogens | |
| Iron | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Zinc | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Copper | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Cadmium | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| pH | pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | |
| Lead | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Sedimentation/Siltation | Sediment | |
| Aluminum | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Uranium | Radiation | |
| Cause Unknown | Cause Unknown | |
| Ammonia, Un-ionized | Ammonia | |
| Sulfates | Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates | |
| Manganese | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| BOD, Sediment Load (Sediment Oxygen Demand) | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Dissolved Oxygen Saturation | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Nitrate/Nitrite (Nitrite + Nitrate as N) | Nutrients |
Colorado Probable Sources of Impairments
for Threatened and Impaired Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2008
Description of this table
| Probable Source | Probable Source Group | Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Source Unknown | Unknown | |
| Agriculture | Agriculture | |
| Natural Sources | Natural/Wildlife | |
| Impacts From Abandoned Mine Lands (Inactive) | Resource Extraction | |
| Upstream Source | Other | |
| Contaminated Groundwater | Groundwater Loadings/Withdrawals | |
| Highway/Road/Bridge Runoff (Non-Construction Related) | Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater | |
| Mine Tailings | Resource Extraction |
Colorado Assessed Waters
Summary of Water Quality Attainment for Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2008
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colorado Assessed Waters
Designated Use Support for Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2008*
* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.
Description of this table| Designated Use | Acres Assessed | Percent Good | Percent Threatened | Percent Impaired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 88,908.6 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Aquatic Life Cold Water-Class 1 | 47,108.5 | 64.8 | .0 | 35.2 | |
| Aquatic Life Cold Water-Class 2 | 142.0 | .0 | .0 | 100.0 | |
| Aquatic Life Warm Water-Class 1 | 31,207.9 | 34.7 | .0 | 65.3 | |
| Aquatic Life Warm Water-Class 2 | 4,685.1 | 6.3 | .0 | 93.7 | |
| Domestic Water Source | 64,121.4 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Recreation Primary Contact | 76,713.4 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Recreation Secondary Contact | 2,449.5 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 |
Colorado Causes of Impairment
for Threatened and Impaired Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Acres Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Selenium | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Mercury in Fish Tissue | Mercury | |
| Dissolved Oxygen Saturation | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| pH | pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | |
| Dissolved Oxygen | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Chlorophyll-A | Algal Growth | |
| Iron | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Ammonia, Un-ionized | Ammonia | |
| Copper | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Tetrachloroethylene | Toxic Organics |
Colorado Probable Sources of Impairments
for Threatened and Impaired Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2008
Description of this table
| Probable Source | Probable Source Group | Acres Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Source Unknown | Unknown | |
| Impacts From Abandoned Mine Lands (Inactive) | Resource Extraction | |
| Natural Sources | Natural/Wildlife | |
| Contaminated Groundwater | Groundwater Loadings/Withdrawals |
Colorado Causes of Impairment for Reporting Year 2008
Description of this table
| NOTE: Click on the underlined Cause of Impairment Group to see a list of specific state causes of impairment making up the Cause of Impairment Group. | |||||||||||||||
| Cause of Impairment Group | Size of Assessed Waters with Listed Causes of Impairment | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers and Streams (Miles) |
Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres) |
||||||||||||||
| Algal Growth | 916.2 | ||||||||||||||
| Ammonia | 67.4 | 530.5 | |||||||||||||
| Cause Unknown | 70.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Mercury | 15,081.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Metals (other than Mercury) | 8,558.9 | 18,368.5 | |||||||||||||
| Nutrients | 11.2 | ||||||||||||||
| Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | 24.9 | 6,823.2 | |||||||||||||
| Pathogens | 2,350.0 | ||||||||||||||
| pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | 196.2 | 3,834.9 | |||||||||||||
| Radiation | 80.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates | 22.4 | ||||||||||||||
| Sediment | 117.9 | ||||||||||||||
| Toxic Organics | 78.4 | ||||||||||||||
Colorado Probable Sources Contributing to Impairments
for Reporting Year 2008
Description of this table
| NOTE: Click on the underlined Probable Source Group to see a list of specific state Probable Sources making up the Probable Source Group. | |||||||||||||||
| Probable Source Group | Size of Assessed Waters with Probable Sources of Impairments | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers and Streams (Miles) |
Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres) |
||||||||||||||
| Agriculture | 2,625.7 | ||||||||||||||
| Groundwater Loadings/Withdrawals | 26.7 | 78.4 | |||||||||||||
| Natural/Wildlife | 827.7 | 142.0 | |||||||||||||
| Other | 67.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Resource Extraction | 638.3 | 142.0 | |||||||||||||
| Unknown | 5,886.2 | 36,542.6 | |||||||||||||
| Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater | 16.8 | ||||||||||||||
Colorado TMDL Alternatives by Cause of Impairment 2008
No TMDL Alternatives reported.
Colorado Previously Impaired Waters Now Attaining All Uses
Description of this table| NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of Waters Attaining" value for a detailed list of those waters now attaining all uses. | ||
| Cycle Attaining | Number of Waters Attaining | Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 8 | |
Colorado Causes of Impairment for 303(d) Listed Waters
Description of this table| NOTE: Click on a cause of impairment (e.g. pathogens) to see the specific state-reported causes that are grouped to make up this category. Click on the "Number of Causes of Impairment Reported" to see a list of waters with that cause of impairment. | |
| Cause of Impairment Group Name | Number of Causes of Impairment Reported |
|---|---|
| Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Pathogens | |
| pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | |
| Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Mercury | |
| Sediment | |
| Cause Unknown | |
| Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates | |
| Ammonia | |
| Radiation | |
| Nutrients | |
| Algal Growth | |
| Toxic Organics | |
Total: 303 Causes of Impairment
Colorado Cumulative TMDLs by Pollutant
This chart includes TMDLs since October 1, 1995.
Description of this tableTotal: 955 TMDLs; 966 Causes of Impairment Addressed
Colorado Cumulative Number of TMDLs
EPA Fiscal Year starts October 1 and ends September 30.
Description of this table
| NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of TMDLs Completed" value for a detailed list of the TMDLs for the fiscal year. | ||
| Fiscal Year | Number of TMDLs | Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 96 | |
| 1998 | 23 | |
| 1999 | 42 | |
| 2000 | 36 | |
| 2001 | 40 | |
| 2002 | 139 | |
| 2003 | 50 | |
| 2004 | 154 | |
| 2005 | 166 | |
| 2006 | 75 | |
| 2007 | 71 | |
| 2008 | 45 | |
| 2009 | 29 | |
Total: 955 TMDLs; 966 Causes of Impairment Addressed
![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif)
