San Juan Watershed Program: State and Tribal Projects

Under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, EPA has funded projects across the San Juan Watershed. States and tribes in the watershed have conducted additional EPA-funded monitoring, research, and other projects.

Projects

Colorado

Residential Groundwater Well Monitoring

  • Project description: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), in cooperation with San Juan Basic Public Health, is evaluating the quality of ground water along the Animas River. CDPHE is collecting water quality samples from 40 private wells adjacent to the Animas River and other tributaries, and presenting results as needed at community meetings. The results of the study will help homeowners understand the quality of their drinking water. The study will also help CDPHE better understand the extent and nature of the impacts of legacy mining contaminants on ground water drinking water sources and inform homeowners of the need for any potential treatment or other safety measures.
  • Scientific questions: What is the quality of ground water used for drinking water along the Animas River? To what extent and how are these sources impacted by legacy mining activities? What actions can homeowners take to ensure their drinking water is safe?
  • Outputs: More information coming soon.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $50,000

Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring

  • Project description: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) funded the continued operation and maintenance of two instrument probes, or sondes, in the Animas River. These sondes are part of a larger network of sondes throughout the watershed managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). They provide real-time data on water quality, temperature, flow, and other parameters that may help CDPHE make immediate decisions about water management (e.g., whether to close drinking water intakes in the case of a contamination incident). The sonde data can also inform long-term evaluations of anticipated metals concentrations from legacy mining operations and other sources.
  • Scientific questions: What is the condition of the Animas River? How can states and tribes along the river make informed decisions on public health and environmental protection, based on real-time data?
  • Outputs: Locations of and data generated by the sondes are available on the San Juan Watershed interactive map.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $124,575

Natural Annual Variability of Upper Animas Macroinvertebrates

  • Project description: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is contracting with the Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) in to analyze three sequential years of benthic macroinvertebrate data collected in 2016 through 2018.
  • This project will characterize the responses of benthic macroinvertebrates, as measured by metric categories such as community richness, functional feeding groups, and pollution tolerance, to heavy and trace metals being released from mines in the Bonita Peaks Mining District. Although concentrations of metals peaked suddenly immediately after the Gold King Mine spill and then ultimately diminished over time, the effect to the aquatic community has not been fully studied in the Upper Animas River basin. This project presents an opportunity to evaluate if long-term exposure to heavy and trace metals could seriously impact the aquatic community in this basin.
  • Scientific questions: What is the natural annual variability of Upper Animas River benthic macroinvertebrates? What is the correlation between benthic macroinvertebrate metrics and metals exposure?
  • Outputs: Report on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities, December 2020
  • WIIN Act project funding: $30,000

Assessment, Outreach, and Collaboration

  • Project description: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has established a Silverton, CO-based communications and outreach liaison position. The liaison is responsible for evaluating historical and new watershed monitoring data and develop associated outreach materials to inform local, regional, and state stakeholders about the condition of the watershed. The liaison is also supporting development and implementation of a communications strategy, participating in relevant workgroups, and coordinating with EPA staff working on San Juan Watershed and Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site initiatives.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: N/A
  • WIIN Act project funding: $315,200

Animas River Canyon Sampling - Analytical Services

  • Project description: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will provide analytical services (including sample submittal and analysis, data management, and reporting) for the Bonita Peak Mining District Community Advisory Group. Services will be provided for samples collected in the middle Animas River Canyon, for which little to no sampling data has historically been available. The project will provide a refined understanding of appropriate stream segments for future water quality segmentation and standard setting.
  • Scientific questions: Where in the Animas River canyon does analytical water quality begin to meet state standards?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $84,570

Bullion King Mine Remediation - Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sampling

  • Project description: In 2015-16, The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety remediated the Bullion King Mine, located in San Juan County Colorado in Porphyry Gulch, a tributary to Mineral Creek and the Animas River. Mountain Studies Institute collected benthic macroinvertebrate samples downstream of the remediation site in 2015 and 2016 to characterize the benthic community prior to the remediation completion. CDPHE found that the Porphyry Gulch benthic community had capacity for improvement in terms of overall abundance and the proportionality of metal sensitive species. This project will involve collection of benthic samples at the same sites.
  • Scientific questions: Is there a measurable improvement in aquatic insect abundance and diversity five full years following the remediation completion?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $22,412

Water Quality Monitoring in Ecosystems with Beavers

  • Project description: At the North Star mine and the Anglo Saxon mine, the beaver have voluntarily established residence in recent years. In 2020 the beaver were trapped and removed from the North Star mine. Following removal of contaminated materials, there is a desire to encourage re-establishment of beaver near the mine site to promote ecosystem enhancement This site would serve as an ideal location to begin measuring and understanding how beaver ecosystems can exist within mining impacted areas and can support passive remediation of mine discharge while improving overall watershed ecosystem health and resiliency.
  • Scientific questions: To what extent can the use of beavers and beaver habitat to support passive remediation of mining impacted waters in the Upper Animas River Watershed?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $64,055

Building Forest Resiliency in Southwest Colorado

  • Project description: This project will reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health in the Florida River (Upper Colorado basin) as Phase 1 of an innovative outcomes-based environmental impact fund (EIF) that leverages regional efforts to increase the impact of forest health treatments in rural communities. The Florida watershed ranked as a high priority landscape in the Colorado State Forest Action Plan (FAP) and by City of Durango, La Plata County, and San Juan National Forest to protect lives and property, drinking water supplies, and forest-watershed values.
  • Scientific questions: What lessons learned can inform a broader cross-boundary treatment program?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $322,529

Navajo Nation

Water Quality Standards for Livestock and Irrigation

  • Project description: The Navajo Nation EPA evaluated existing standards for water used for livestock and agricultural irrigation to evaluate the need for new or revised standards. This study will give the Tribe an enhanced understanding of whether San Juan River waters can be safely used for livestock and agricultural watering. This effort will also help the Tribe to determine the need for appropriate revised standards that are legally defensible and adequately protective of farmers and livestock owners in the San Juan River Basin.
  • Scientific questions: Can the San Juan River be safely used for livestock watering and agricultural irrigation? Is it necessary to revise existing standards to ensure they are legally defensible and adequately protective?
  • Outputs: A preliminary report was completed in 2020.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $316,500

San Juan River Fish Tissue Contamination Study

  • Project description: The Navajo Nation EPA will conduct a study to evaluate the concentrations of metals and select organic compounds in fish intended for human consumption and compare concentrations of select analytes to known human health risk screening values. This effort will help the Tribe better understand the levels of potentially harmful concentrations of compounds in fish within tribal waters and evaluate the need for additional safety precautions to protect public health.
  • Scientific questions: What levels of metals or other potentially harmful compounds are found in fish in the San Juan River? Are additional safety precautions needed to protect public health?
  • Outputs: A preliminary report was completed in 2020.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $500,000

Investigations of Sources of Contaminants of Concern in the San Juan River

  • Project description: The Navajo Nation EPA will conduct a study to identify sources of metals in the San Juan River Basin and assess how sources of metals contribute to metals loading in the San Juan River. Results of the study will help the Tribe evaluate the nature, distribution, and impacts of source of metals on water quality, human health, and aquatic life in the San Juan River.
  • Scientific questions: What are the sources of metals in the San Juan River? How do they impact watershed condition and human health?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $2,000,000

Outreach and Communications

  • Project description: The Navajo Nation EPA will be conducting outreach and communications to tribal members on watershed condition and use of the San Juan River and tributaries for agricultural, cultural, and other uses. The Navajo Nation EPA will also continue to participate in watershed-wide outreach and communications activities.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: N/A
  • WIIN Act project funding: $50,000

Tributary Stream Gaging

  • Project description: The Navajo Nation EPA, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey, will install, operate, and maintain stream gages to monitor flow, pH, temperature, and specific conductance for two years near the mouth of four San Juan River tributaries-the Chaco River, Mancos River, McElmo Creek, and Chinle Creek. The goal of the project is to determine when and how much flow these tributaries contribute to the San Juan River and better understand load contributions from these tributaries.
  • Scientific questions: What is the real-time discharge of major tributaries to the San Juan River, and how are these flows informed by storm events vs. snowmelt?
  • Outputs: All USGS stream gages report flow in near real time. Once installed, these gages will provide data integrated in 15-minute increments via the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS). Once appropriate surrogate relationships are established, real-time modeled concentrations and loads of sediment and other constituents (i.e., lead, copper, zinc, nutrients, etc.) will be available from the USGS National Real Time Water Quality (NRTWQ) website.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $285,534

Closure of Abandoned Artesian Well Adjacent to San Juan River

  • Project description: The purpose of this project is to close a nuisance well that is contributing high concentrations of salts to the San Juan River on the Navajo Nation in Aneth, UT. The well was targeted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to be plugged in the late 1990s, but the work was never completed. EPA sampled the well in 2018 and confirmed to have arsenic concentrations above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) established under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Flow estimates range from 50 to 100 gallons per minute. However, flow rate is difficult to estimate because water surfaces in several areas due to a failed attempt to stop the flow using explosives in the early 1990s. Most of this flow reaches the San Juan River, which is located approximately 150 yards away. Elevated arsenic concentrations have been measured downstream in the San Juan River. Therefore, plugging this well will reduce loading.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $120,000

New Mexico

Analysis of the Effects of Contaminants in Animas and San Juan River Water on Attainment of Livestock Watering and Crop Irrigation Uses

  • Project description: The New Mexico Environment Department supported the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) at New Mexico State University in continuing to host annual informational conferences to exchange monitoring study results, data, and ideas among states, tribes, EPA and other federal agencies, academic researchers, numerous local and municipal agencies and public water systems, and citizens. The conferences also feature forums for addressing concerns and questions related to impacts of current and historical mining in the watershed, as well as field trips. The 2018 through 2020 conferences were funded under the WIIN Act, and WRRI held its most recent conference in June 2022. As part of the 2019 conference, WRRI organized a Teach-In at the Navajo Shiprock Chapter House, with Navajo translation provided, where conference presenters gave "Flash Talks" to the Navajo community.
  • Scientific questions: Are existing agricultural standards adequate to protect the safety of crops irrigated and livestock watered from the San Juan River? What is the occurrence of metals-contaminated sediment in irrigation ditches and agricultural fields along the Animas and San Juan Rivers? What metals of concern are found in plants from fields receiving irrigation water from the Animas and San Juan Rivers? What are the metals concentrations in residue (i.e., surface irrigation water) on crop surfaces? What are the metal concentrations in irrigation ditch water?
  • Outputs: This project is completed. The results of the sample analysis were presented at various conferences and shared with community stakeholders through state and Navajo Nation public outreach opportunities. The results will help inform future decisions on the safety of agricultural crops and the appropriateness of existing standards for the use of Animas and San Juan River waters for agricultural and irrigation activities. A final project report, presentations, and data are available from NMED on request. Water samples collected near irrigation ditch inlets at three different times during three growing seasons never exceeded the water quality standards for irrigation and livestock purposes. The water flowing into and through the ditches from the Animas and San Juan rivers appears safe to cultivate forage and vegetable crops. Heavy metals levels in crop biomass (pasture and vegetables) are within or below screening levels and safe for consumption. Final reports include:
  • WIIN Act project funding: $124,193 (Note: in 2016, New Mexico received $112,193 in non-WIIN grant funding to initiate this project)

Regional Groundwater Monitoring and Surface Water Connectivity along the Animas River

  • Project description: This project was initiated before WIIN funding. In the first phase of the study, the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources conducting a hydrologic assessment of the alluvial aquifer adjacent to the Animas River in New Mexico, from the Colorado state line to Farmington, NM. In the first phase of this study, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) determined that the Animas River is mostly gaining, but seasonal fluctuations in stage and water levels in the valley (i.e., Cedar Hill and Inca) can reverse flow direction from gaining to losing reaches, potentially impacting wells within 300 feet of the river Irrigation water was also determined to be re-charging groundwater levels during irrigation periods. This phase of the study also determined that in June through October, well levels are impacted by distance from river.
  • In the second phase of this study, funded by WIIN, NMED installed monitoring equipment in wells to monitor water level, temperature, and specific conductance. Further, NMED collected and analyzed ground water samples from 140 wells to evaluate the quality of ground water along the Animas River and the extent of connectivity between ground water and surface water along the river The study will help NMED better understand the extent and nature of the impacts of the Gold King Mine release and legacy mining contaminants in the river and the Animas River shallow aquifer, and options for mitigating future spills and improving ground water and surface water protection in the watershed. Sampling was conducted in October 2018 and April 2019.
  • Scientific questions: For the first phase of the study, scientific questions included: What are the seasonal and "baseline" water levels in the Animas River? What are the groundwater levels in wells adjacent to the Animas River under seasonal conditions? Are there reaches of the Animas River that are losing river water into groundwater? Are there times of the year, under seasonal hydrologic influences, when reaches of the river are losing to the groundwater? Does continuous temperature data from the pressure transducers suggest connection between groundwater and surface water?
  • For the second phase of the study, scientific questions included: Are there additional areas where gradient reversals between the aquifer and river occur that have not yet been identified due to lack of well coverage in the previous study? Does the observed intermittent input of river water to the aquifer in localized areas have a persistent long-term effect on groundwater quality within those areas? Where does the majority of groundwater recharge due to the seepage of irrigation water to the subsurface take place (irrigation ditches, fields)? Is the observed additional dissolved sulfate in groundwater in the down-gradient direction only due to the input of regional groundwater from the underlying bedrock, or is there another source of this sulfate? What is the source(s) of iron and manganese that is observed at high concentrations in some areas? What processes control the spatial distribution of dissolved and total iron and manganese in the aquifer? What processes control redox conditions in the aquifer?
  • Outputs: This project is completed. The publication and all data files for Study Period 1 are now available ("Hydrology and Geochemistry of the Animas River Alluvial Aquifer After the Gold King Mine Spill, San Juan County, New Mexico" [Open File Report 592]). The publication and all data files for Study Period 2 are now available (“Hydrology and Geochemistry of the Animas River Alluvial Aquifer, San Juan County, New Mexico: Assessing Groundwater Recharge, Flow Paths, and Solute Sources” [Open File Report 612]).
  • WIIN Act project funding: $189,414 (Note: in 2016, New Mexico received $216,824 in non-WIIN grant funding to initiate this project)

Agricultural Communications and Outreach Activities

  • Project description: The New Mexico Environment Department established a communications and outreach campaign designed to alleviate the unfounded stigma against agricultural products irrigated with water from the Animas and San Juan Rivers. Further, the campaign is designed to communicate and emphasize the cultural, economic, and health benefits associated with buying locally grown produce. The project was led by the San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District, with input from federal, state, tribal, county, and municipal agencies, as well as farmers, ranchers, and agricultural associations. The effort included: development of public relations strategies and approaches to assess strategy effectiveness; evaluation of public outreach options (e.g., videos, billboards, radio and television ads, bus ads, brochures, and public events); implementation of multiple public outreach options; and assessment of summary of project results.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: This project is completed. The effort included development of public relations strategies and approaches to assess strategy effectiveness; evaluation of public outreach options (e.g., videos, billboards, radio and television ads, bus ads, brochures, and public events); and implementation of multiple public outreach options. Information is available from NMED upon request.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $50,000

Farmington Lake Coring Study

San Juan and Animas River Watershed Informational Conferences

  • Project Description: The New Mexico Environment Department supported the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) at New Mexico State University in continuing to host annual informational conferences to exchange monitoring study results, data, and ideas among states, tribes, EPA and other federal agencies, academic researchers, numerous local and municipal agencies and public water systems, and citizens. The conferences also feature forums for addressing concerns and questions related to impacts of current and historical mining in the watershed, as well as field trips. The 2018 through 2020 conferences were funded under the WIIN Act, and WRRI held its most recent conference in June 2022. As part of the 2019 conference, WRRI organized a Teach-In at the Navajo Shiprock Chapter House, with Navajo translation provided, where conference presenters gave "Flash Talks" to the Navajo community.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: This project is on-going. Papers and project summaries from the conferences are posted on WRRI's conference website: 2018 conference, 2019 conference, and 2020 conference. NMED was awarded additional grant monies to fund annual conferences through 2024. The conference was not held in 2021 due to COVID and staffing shortages; however, a hybrid conference was convened in 2022 and WRRI. A synopsis of the 2022 conference proceedings was posted on WRRI’s website immediately after the conference, and materials from the June 2023 conference will also be made available on WRRI’s website. Planning for the 2024 Animas and San Juan Watersheds Conference is underway and the conference is scheduled for June 12-23, 2024.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $217,222 (Note: in 2016, New Mexico received $65,481 in non-WIIN grant funding to plan and host the inaugural 2017 conference)

Surrogate Monitoring of Real-time Metals Concentrations in the Animas and San Juan Rivers

  • Project description: The USGS, in partnership with EPA, NMED, City of Farmington, and City of Aztec, will develop a model for estimating suspended metals concentration from real-time (15-minute data) turbidity and sediment corrected backscatter (hydroacoustic) measurements paired with sampled metals data. The statistical model will be used to estimate suspended-sediment and metals concentrations in near real-time, to be served on the USGS National Water Information Services (NWIS) web. Additionally, USGS will explore the potential applicability of the model to function as a predictive tool to forecast metals concentrations in the Animas and San Juan Rivers based on precipitation data in the watershed, using machine learning data analysis techniques, looking for patterns and regressions, and predicting new values of metals concentrations. This three-year project started in October 2021.
  • Scientific questions: How can metals concentrations in the Animas and San Juan Rivers be estimated and predicted, to improve watershed management decisions?
  • Outputs: The project is ongoing. The USGS continues monthly operation and maintenance of the hydroacoustic-turbidity sensors; began collecting data during spring snowmelt using an ISCO automated sampler; received metals data from the lab and began the process to import the data into the USGS NWIS database; and made progress on an approach to determine a flow source value for modeling.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $740,000

Nitrogen Source Investigation

  • Project description: The USGS, in cooperation with EPA, NMED, San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe (SUIT), will conduct detailed geochemical analyses of groundwater, surface water, springs, seeps, and alkali and Cretaceous rock to identify, geochemically characterize, and estimate relative watershed contributions of sources of nitrate and other nitrogen species in ground and surface water. The information can inform decisions on management of nitrogen sources in the watershed, which can cause eutrophic conditions in the Animas River and lead to exceedances of the standards for drinking water uses (i.e., state groundwater and EPA drinking water standards). The USGS will also construct a watershed model that describes and predicts nutrient loading through the Animas River watershed by spatially analyzing land use, geology, soil type, and climate data in conjunction with the nutrient geochemical sampling and analysis. This is a three-year project that started in October 2020.  
  • Scientific questions: What are the sources of nitrate and other nitrogen species in the watershed? How can the state better manage these sources to limit impacts on watershed condition and human health?
  • Outputs: The project is on-going. The USGS continues to work through data QA/QC and approval process; built and is currently perfecting a Bayesian isotope mixing model to proportionate nitrate sources through time and space in the Animas Watershed; continues to outline and write a nutrient sources manuscript; and continues to make progress on the Hydrologic Simulation Program – FORTRAN (HSPF) model development.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $581,000

Lower Animas Watershed Based Plan Implementation Projects Phase 3

  • Project description: The project will reduce pollutant loading for several impairment parameters (e.g., turbidity, nutrients, total phosphorus, temperature, and total dissolved lead to move towards attainment of the cool water aquatic life designated use. This project implements portions of the Lower Animas Watershed-Based Plan (LAWBP) and updated LAWBP. Management measures included under the plan include a soil health outreach campaign, a bank stabilization and restoration project, wetlands restoration, riparian garden installation, and broader outreach and coordination.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: Outputs will include construction surveys, project designs, project implementation, workshops and meetings, project plans, consultation reports. Implementation projects are ongoing. Construction for Management Measures #1 and #2 began in early 2023. San Juan Watershed Group meetings resumed on February 13, 2023. Project is on schedule. See more information on the project on EPA’s Grants Reporting and Tracking System project page.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $230,807

Southern Ute Tribe

Ethnographic Study on Cultural Uses of Plants

  • Project description: The Southern Ute Environmental Programs Division, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and Northern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes, is conducting an ethnographic study on the cultural uses of plants (which uptake water from the Animas River) by tribal members. The study will identify those plants harvested for cultural purposes, their location, the period of harvest, and how they are used, and the relationship between water sources and those plants. The study will also examine cultural traditions associated with collection of plants or other resources, traditional trailways or paths used to access the plants, how traditional cultural information is passed down through generations, and whether there are any landforms or other places in the project area with Ute place names. The outcomes of the study will provide direction for EPA toxicologists to amend the human health risk assessment to include Ute people who may come in contact with plant tissue contaminated from toxic metals. This study will also highlight and translate the oral traditions of the Ute people to give a better understanding of any potential toxicological risks as a result of coming in contact with plants of interest.
  • Scientific questions: What plants are harvested for cultural purposes, and how are they impacted by Animas River waters (and metals concentrations in particular)? What cultural traditions are associated with these plants? What are the toxicological risks of using these plants for cultural purposes?
  • Outputs: The completed, approved QAPP is available on max.gov. A preliminary Ute plant list was developed in January 2019 and will be made available after completion of study and confidentiality review.
  • WIIN Act Project funding: $350,000

Sonde Telemetry Study

  • Project description: The Southern Ute Environmental Programs Division will conduct a sonde telemetry study on the Animas River to better understand agricultural inputs (e.g., nutrients and sediment) into tribal waters. A mobile telemetry unit and an associated sonde will be installed downstream of an existing sonde deployed in Durango, Colorado and upstream of an existing sonde deployed at Cedar Hill, New Mexico. The deployed telemetry unit and sonde will enable the Tribe to provide accurate, real-time data to Tribal members by relaying data remotely to Tribal servers, which can then be uploaded to a live website to allow for public access to the data.
  • Scientific questions: What are the agricultural inputs into the Animas River? How can this information be used to improve watershed management?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act Project funding: $500,000

Aluminum and Nutrient Source Tracking Studies

  • Project description: The Southern Ute Environmental Programs Division (EPD) will conduct a three-year monitoring study to determine the sources of elevated aluminum in the Florida and Animas Rivers, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New Mexico Water Science Center. Aluminum levels in these rivers downstream of the northern Tribal boundary typically range widely and can be high. Elevated aluminum content poses a concern for Tribal and downstream users. The EPD will also conduct a three-year study to assess sources of elevated nitrogen forms and other nutrients from the Florida River to the Animas River, in collaboration with EPA Region 6 and the USGS New Mexico Water Science Center. Previous monitoring indicates an elevated nutrient load from the Florida River, which can cause eutrophic conditions in the Florida and Animas Rivers and lead to exceedances of the standards for drinking water. The nutrient and aluminum studies will be conducted simultaneously to achieve cost savings and better-informed conclusions due to shared resources and methods.
  • Scientific questions: What are the sources of aluminum in the Florida and Animas Rivers? What are the sources and levels of nutrients in the Florida River, and how do they contribute to nutrient levels in the Animas River? How can this information be used to improve watershed management?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act Project funding: $530,000

Fish Tissue and Macroinvertebrate Sampling

  • Project description: The Southern Ute Environmental Programs Division will conduct a three-year fish tissue and macroinvertebrate sampling study in the Animas River for metals and organic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and planar chlorinated hydrocarbons). The study will identify whether bioaccumulation of these contaminants is occurring and affecting the Animas River ecosystem within Colorado.
  • Scientific questions: Is bioaccumulation of certain metals and organics compounds occurring in the Animas River? How and to what extent is this affecting the river ecosystem?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act Project funding: $217,664

Nutrient Loading Study

  • Project description: The Southern Ute Environmental Programs Division will conduct a two-year study to assess nutrient contributions from the Florida River to the Animas River. Previous monitoring indicates an elevated nutrient load from the Florida River.
  • Scientific questions: What are the sources and levels of nutrients in the Florida River, and how do they contribute to nutrient levels in the Animas River?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act Project funding: $270,000

Emerging Contaminants Study

  • Project description: The Southern Ute Environmental Programs Division will conduct a three-year emerging contaminant assessment in the Animas and Florida Rivers. The study will focus on per- and polyfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PCPs).
  • Scientific questions: Do PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and PCPs occur in the studied watershed, and if so, what baselines should be used for future studies?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $600,000

Non-Point Source Assessment and Management Plan

  • Project description: The Southern Ute Environmental Programs Division will develop a Non-Point Source (NPS) Assessment report that evaluates the past five years of data (2017-2021) that the Section 106 program has collected and will compare them to the Tribe’s water quality standards. This assessment evaluates current water quality conditions on the SUIT Reservation and determines water quality standards exceedances that in turn determine NPS priorities that will be highlighted in the NPS Management Plan. The ultimate outcome of this project will be a more efficient, targeted approach to implementing best management practices (BMPs) on the Reservation based on the past five years of water quality data.
  • Scientific questions: What are the water quality conditions on the Reservation? How can the Tribe adjust approaches to BMP implementation in response to collected data?
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $126,000

Spring Creek Restoration

  • Project description: The Southern Ute Environmental Programs Division will plan and execute restoration activities along priority degraded reaches of Spring Creek to reduce non-point source pollution through a series of streambank stabilization projects on the remaining identified priority reaches of Spring Creek. The project will involve building bankfull benches at the toe of the cut banks to create vegetated protection to stabilize the banks. Constructed bankfull benches will reduce erosion and sedimentation as well as improve the surrounding riparian area. An improvement to the surrounding riparian area will also result in a reduction in nutrients, E. coli and potentially stream temperature in Spring Creek and the Los Piños Watershed, a sub watershed of the greater San Juan Watershed.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: Restoration activities.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $504,000

Utah

Lake Powell Coring Study

  • Project description: The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality (DWQ), in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted sediment coring in the San Juan River and Colorado River deltas of Lake Powell. Coring was completed in late 2018, and 40 core samples were extracted, preserved, and shipped to the National Lacustrine Core Facility for analysis. USGS has calculated sediment rates and volumes, and examined, summarized, and compared sediment chemistry relationships between the San Juan River and the Colorado River arms of Lake Powell as well as analyzed cores for evidence of the Gold King Mine release. A presentation by Scott Hynek of USGS details initial findings as it relates to sediment volume, sediment chemistry, and the chronology of sedimentation. Two reports are currently undergoing internal USGS review.
  • The purpose of the study was to obtain an improved understanding of the concentration, loading, distribution, and bioavailability of metals in the lake and more accurately describe the source of these metals. In addition, the study will quantify the total volume of sediment and sedimentation rates in the reservoir. These data will also help UDEQ to evaluate impacts of metals concentration on water quality, human health, and aquatic life, and identify priorities and options for managing the environmental impacts of these metals.
  • Scientific questions: What is the total mass of metals deposited in the San Juan delta and how are they distributed? What is the bioavailability of metals? How does the San Juan River compare to the Colorado River? What is the potential for impact to the water quality of Lake Powell and what management options are available to mitigate impacts?
  • Outputs: USGS is developing project reports, which will undergo review prior to public release. Data are available at the Open Science Framework (OSF); however, access is gained only by request. Data currently posted include: core images, core logger data, core metadata, and data forms. PowerPoint presentations summarizing initial findings are available upon request. A digital elevation model of Glen Canyon prior to flooding is available here. High-resolution geophysical data collected in 2017 are available here.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $900,000

San Juan River Watershed Communications and Watershed Planning and Program Scoping

  • Project description: The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality (DWQ), in conjunction with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and tribal entities, coordinated a watershed-based communication strategy for the San Juan watershed. DWQ developed and continues to maintain a San Juan Watershed Monitoring Program webpage designed to provide updates on ongoing projects in the San Juan River watershed. In addition, DWQ has developed project fact sheets, designed and presented a workshop on risk communication, and coordinated communication efforts for the ongoing Lake Powell Coring Study in an effort to relay information about the watershed to the general public. DWQ will continue to lead and support efforts to assess options for developing a watershed plan, develop a vision and goals for the program, continue and reassess watershed-wide monitoring efforts, manage contractor activities on WIIN-funded projects, and engage in communications and outreach activities. DWQ also continues to coordinate the state/tribe-led monitoring program that began in June of 2022 which includes organizing sampling events and data processing workflow. This funding also provides travel support for participation in relevant meetings and conferences.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: UDEQ created a San Juan Watershed Program website, coordinated a Lunch and Learn Series in 2021 and 2022, attended and presented at the 2022 San Juan and Animas River Watershed Informational Conferences, and helped coordinate and participates in the state/tribe-led monitoring program.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $231,447

Suspended Sediment Concentration Monitoring

  • Project description: The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality is working with USGS to determine whether acoustic Doppler velocity meters (ADVMs) could be used as a real-time indicator of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and metals. Because turbidity is a poor surrogate for determining metals concentrations in the lower San Juan River, the use of ADVMs is being tested as a proxy for SSC and metals. The research is examining relationships between acoustic backscatter signals, streamflow, SSC, and metals to determine the potential for real-time monitoring of metals and estimation of loads to Lake Powell. This is a continuation of U.S. Geological Survey research initiated in October 2017. Equipment installation was completed in early 2018 and data collection began in April 2018. The project was completed in June of 2021 with several outputs generated at the links below.
  • Scientific questions: Can ADVMs be used as a real-time indicator of SSC and metals? What is the annual and seasonal loading of total and dissolved metals to Lake Powell?
  • Outputs: Final products for the project include: 1) generated data, 2) sediment model, and 3) a final presentation that summarizes the project’s findings.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $47,400 (Note: in 2017, Utah received $32,000 in non-WIIN grant funding to initiate this project)

Lake Powell Porewater Sample Analysis

  • Project description: The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service, will analyze porewater samples collected as part of the Lake Powell coring effort in 2018. Analyses of these samples from the Colorado and San Juan deltas of Lake Powell may help determine: the bioavailability of metals in bottom water environments of Lake Powell, based on porewater chemistry; the potential that metals related to the 2015 Gold King spill might be preserved in reduced porewater, rather than in deltaic sediment; the relationship between host sediment and porewater chemistry in bottom water environments of Lake Powell. All samples have been analyzed as of fall 2022.
  • Scientific questions: What is the bioavailability of metals in bottom water environments of Lake Powell? What is the relationship between host sediment and porewater chemistry in bottom water environments?
  • Outputs: The findings are to be incorporated into the final reporting for the coring study.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $173,868

Monitoring of Tribal Waters

Project Description: The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe has been routinely monitoring tribal waters to evaluate water quality. Monitoring results from 2015 and beyond can be downloaded from EPA's Water Quality Portal (.csv).

San Juan Watershed Restoration and Habitat Improvement

  • Project description: The San Juan Watershed is one of the driest areas in Utah and lacks consistent sources of surface water for livestock and wildlife. Many of the agricultural producers in the area rely heavily on seasonal moisture to fill ponds and recharge springs that are scattered across the landscape. Over the past few years, seasonal moisture has been nonexistent. Animals congregate at the few water sources that do exist, and producers have to haul water into remote locations. Developing reliable well water in these areas would serve several purposes: reduce pressure on riparian areas that have seen heavy use due to lack of water in other parts of the grazing allotments; improve range conditions by giving producers the ability to alternate pastures; allow cattle and wildlife to spread out and graze the range evenly. The majority of the wells will be drilled in Navajo Sandstone, a formation that has proven to be a consistent water source at a depth of 50-100ft. Water quality benefits include preservation and improved water quality of fragile springs/seeps and improvement in streambank conditions and subsequent reduction in sediment, nutrients and bacteria from riparian areas along Montezuma Creek, Cottonwood Wash, and associated tributaries. As of June 2023, 7 wells have been developed.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: Ten offsite watering locations, 7,000 additional acres available for livestock and wildlife, and a list of potential implementation projects.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $630,000

Lower San Juan Watershed Plan

  • Project description: There currently exists no comprehensive watershed planning effort/road map in this portion of the watershed making restoration project identification difficult. The purpose of undergoing an extensive watershed planning effort will be to develop a watershed plan that identifies both stakeholders and specific implementation projects to address water quality issues. The project will involve conducting stakeholder mapping throughout the watershed to identify all relevant parties, creating a watershed group/forum where open discussion can occur that addresses water quality issues in this part of the watershed, and developing a nine-element watershed plan.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: Watershed plan and stakeholder engagement activities.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $200,000

Understanding E. coli in the San Juan Watershed

  • Project description: E. coli impairments of surface waters are widespread throughout the San Juan Watershed. This is increasingly problematic because surface waters in the San Juan Watershed see high recreational use from swimmers, boaters, and fishermen on an annual basis. To date, the watershed is lacking in a watershed-wide understanding of E. coli trends both spatially and through time, prohibiting a comprehensive approach to addressing water quality issues. The value of such an understanding is that it will provide the critical information necessary to design implementation efforts that target primary areas of concern. This effort will include several tasks such as 1) identify, compile, and organize existing E. coli data in the San Juan Watershed, 2) identify spatial and temporal trends in both concentration and loads, 3) compare E. coli concentrations to flow at various locations, 4) identify critical data gaps,  5) identify E. coli sources and the potential value/use of microbial source tracking, and 6) summarize past implementation efforts and identify potential implementation strategies to address sources moving forward.
  • Scientific questions: What are the primary sources of E. coli in the San Juan Watershed? Where should water quality improvement projects be implemented to effectively reduce E. coli concentrations?
  • Outputs: Report that summarizes spatial and temporal trends in E. coli, and identifies implementation projects. A database of all E. coli data in the watershed.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $50,000

Understanding Legacy Discharging Mines in the San Juan Watershed

  • Project description: The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality (DWQ) will identify, evaluate, and address mines within the Utah-portion of the San Juan watershed that are impacting water resources, either through direct discharge or surface water contact with waste material. To achieve this goal Utah will: create a spatial database with information including currently known mine locations, mine discharge parameters such as flow, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and known watershed impairments downstream; identify additional mines that may be discharging using relevant information such as rock type, elevation, groundwater elevation, plant coverage, and precipitation; develop and conduct a multi-season monitoring strategy to prioritize mines impacting human populations and to ensure seasonal variability is known that also includes the creation of a Sampling and Analysis plan to ensure data consistency and quality; work with all relevant stakeholders to increase our ability to achieve mine identification monitoring goals to protect human health and the environment; identify mining remediation projects as needed. These objectives will enable the collection of high-quality data which will allow mines to either be “de-listed” as a negative impact to human health or the environment or be identified as a relevant hazard which will require remediation or possible permitting requirements. Following the creation and execution of this proposed strategy, it is anticipated that the project will expand to include the remediation of problem mines and possible discharge permit requirements. These will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. DWQ is currently in the process of selecting a contractor to assist with this effort.
  • Scientific questions: How and where are abandoned mines and their discharge impacting human health and the environment in the watershed?
  • Outputs: DWQ will develop: a spatial database; interim technical report documenting database structure, access, and identification analysis; a Technical Report that summarizes the monitoring effort; Sampling and Analysis Plan to guide monitoring; Coordination Guide that details efforts to solicit all relevant stakeholder input and documents all communications; Remediation Report that prioritizes problematic mines impacting human/environmental health, identifies appropriate remediation efforts, and provides cost estimates.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $120,000

Watershed Data Analysis and Reporting

  • Project description: The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality (DWQ) will conduct data analysis and reporting for data collection in the San Juan Watershed beginning in 2022. DWQ will download data from the national water quality database and run analyses identified by the San Juan Watershed Group as important for understanding overall watershed health. UDEQ will also develop and distribute an annual report to stakeholders throughout the watershed. As of June 2023, 4 monitoring events have been completed and most data uploaded to the Water Quality Portal. DWQ has also worked successfully with EPA to transfer EPA data and data analysis methods such that it can be used in future reports.
  • Scientific questions: To be determined, based on specific data analysis needs and priorities.
  • Outputs: Data analysis and annual report.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $100,000

Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe

East Fork Mancos River Restoration

  • Project description: The East Fork Mancos River does not meet water quality standards for dissolved copper and manganese due to the combination of drainage from historical mines and natural background metal concentrations. This project will conduct an assessment of metal sources, mobilization, and potential for downstream toxicity, and remediate the Thunder Mine site to reduce metal contributions to this River.
  • Scientific questions: What is the geographic extent in which metal contributions from mineralized rock and legacy mining in the Mancos River headwaters influence downstream water quality and aquatic life? What are the water quality benefits of remediation?
  • Outputs: Data will be submitted to WQX. The Tribe will develop a technical report summarizing the results and conclusions of all data collection efforts and the results and conclusions of our targeting monitoring of the Thunder Mine remediation.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $961,009

Cottonwood Wash Source Assessment

  • Project description: Complete a source assessment of elevated levels of gross alpha and uranium to address risks to human health and the environment in the Cottonwood Wash watershed (project scoping still underway).
  • Scientific questions: To be determined.
  • Outputs: Outputs will be determined as plans for the project are finalized.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $100,000

Watershed-wide Projects

Watershed Monitoring

  • Project description: Since fall 2018, EPA has been collecting water and sediment samples at 39 sites to better understand the condition of the watershed. In 2019, EPA expanded this effort to include benthic macroinvertebrate populations and physical habitat monitoring. Monitoring will conclude in 2021. The goals of this monitoring effort are to establish a consistent approach to collecting and assessing water quality and sediment data in the watershed, better understand water and sediment quality under different hydrologic regimes, build a more complete picture of how pollutants move through the watershed, identify annual trends, and allow EPA, states, and tribes to make more informed watershed management decisions. Sampling is occurring along Cement Creek, Mineral Creek, the Animas River, the San Juan River, numerous tributaries and diversion canals, and Lake Powell. Sites were selected based on state, tribal, or local priorities and concerns; locations used for previous or ongoing monitoring efforts in the watershed; and the extent to which historic data were available, allowing for comparison of conditions over time.
  • Scientific questions: What is the condition of the San Juan and Animas Rivers? How can states and tribes along the rivers make informed decisions on public health and environmental protection, based on monitoring data?
  • Outputs: Locations of and data generated by the watershed-wide monitoring are available on the San Juan Watershed interactive map and for download.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $1,320,770

Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring

  • Project description: EPA is supporting the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in maintaining 12 sondes in the watershed, from Silverton, Colorado to near Bluff, Utah. The sondes continuously monitor water quality and transmit real-time data on temperature, pH, turbidity, and specific conductance every 15 minutes. Real-time data can inform real-time management decisions throughout the watershed, such as closure of drinking water intakes, and provide insights on trends over time.
  • Scientific questions: What is the condition of the San Juan and Animas Rivers? How can states and tribes along the rivers make informed decisions on public health and environmental protection, based on real-time data?
  • Outputs: Locations of and data generated by the sondes are available on the San Juan Watershed interactive map.
  • WIIN Act project funding: $1,365,724

Outreach and Communications Oversight

  • Project description: A representative from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality provides leadership for all San Juan Watershed Program communications activities, including: development of communications and outreach products; development and delivery of a risk communications workshop and webinar, including a response plan for communicating risk from discharge events; coordination with local watershed groups throughout the watershed; and, coordinating with states and tribes in the watershed to effectively communicate ongoing watershed projects and related efforts with local stakeholders.
  • Scientific questions: N/A
  • Outputs: N/A
  • WIIN Act project funding: $171,800

Additional projects funded by EPA

Colorado

  • Monitoring of State Waters. Colorado has been routinely monitoring the Animas River to evaluate water quality and sediment. Monitoring results from 2016 to 2018 can be downloaded from EPA's Water Quality Portal (.csv).

Navajo Nation

  • San Juan River Water Quality and Sediment Monitoring. In addition to ongoing routine monitoring activities, Navajo Nation EPA has conducted water quality and sediment monitoring in the San Juan River, Fruitland and Hogback canals, and major tributaries between Farmington, NM and Mexican Hat, UT, including the Chaco and Mancos Rivers and McElmo Creek. Results are available on request.

New Mexico

  • Aztec Reservoir #1 Sediment Coring Study. The New Mexico Environment Department contracted with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to identify and assess constituents of concern in sediment in the City of Aztec Reservoir. Study results will be available as a data release in USGS Science Base and uploaded into appropriate database by USGS. NMED also developed and published a journal article in 2020, Sediment record of mining legacy and water quality from a drinking-water reservoir, Aztec, New Mexico.
  • Benthic Microbes and Macroinvertebrate Assessment. New Mexico conducted an assessment of the impacts of metals in the Animas and San Juan Rivers on biota. A project report was published in 2018.

Southern Ute Indian Tribe

  • Monitoring of Tribal Waters. The Southern Ute Tribe has monitored tribal waters to evaluate potential impacts of heavy metals on tribal waters, including groundwater, sediment, and macroinvertebrate and fish populations. Monitoring results from 2016 and beyond can be downloaded from EPA's Water Quality Portal (.csv, 3.2 MB).

Utah

  • Water Quality and Sediment in the San Juan River and Lake Powell. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ) evaluated water quality and sediment in the San Juan River and Lake Powell against state standards for aquatic life and agricultural use. The final report and project factsheet are available on Utah's San Juan Watershed Program Analysis of Water Quality and Sediments webpage.
  • Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments. UDEQ conducted human health and ecological risk assessments in the San Juan River and Lake Powell. The final reports are available on Utah's San Juan Watershed Program Human Health and Ecological Risks webpage.
  • Source Identification and Tracking. The University of Utah conducted a study to differentiate mining versus non-mining sources of metals in the lower San Juan River and determine whether sediment layers in Lake Powell illustrate distinct chemical signatures that can be traced back to watershed sources. A project description is available on Utah's San Juan Watershed Program Mining Inventory and Source Identification webpage. Phase 1 results are presented in a 2019 paper titled "Source Identification of Particulate Metals/Metalloids Deposited in the San Juan River Delta of Lake Powell, USA" authored by Logan Frederick and available upon request.
  • Sediment Trap Monitoring. UDEQ is conducting sediment trap monitoring in the San Juan River delta of Lake Powell to further the understanding of how watershed scale processes are integrated. The data will also test the proposed seasonality of sediment composition and help to characterize sediment contribution from side canyons in the San Juan River delta. A project page will be added to the San Juan Watershed Program webpage in the near future.
  • Monitoring of State Waters. Utah has been routinely monitoring the San Juan River to evaluate water quality and sediment. Monitoring results from 2015 to 2016 can be downloaded from EPA's Water Quality Portal (.csv).

Watershed-Wide

  • Regression Analysis. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) evaluated the use of site-specific regression models to estimate metal concentrations at nine USGS streamflow-gaging stations on the Animas and San Juan Rivers in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Downstream users could use these regression models to determine if metal concentrations are elevated and pose a risk to water supplies, agriculture, and recreation. USGS developed multiple linear-regression models by relating metal concentrations in discrete water-quality samples to continuously monitored streamflow and surrogate parameters (specific conductance, pH, turbidity, and water temperature). USGS also developed models for dissolved and total concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, and zinc using water-quality samples collected from 2005 to 2017 by several Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies using different collection methods and analytical laboratories. A final report was published in 2018.

San Juan Watershed

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Last updated on April 16, 2024