Confluence at the Confluence Chatfield Watershed Authority September

Confluence at the Confluence Chatfield Watershed Authority September 22, 2014

2014 Overview of Chatfield Watershed • Where we’ve been • What the Future looks like • Partnerships – It’s all about “Making Connections”

Authority’s Goals Promote Watershed Health… • Meet water quality requirements and protect beneficial uses. • Serves as the designated 208 water quality management or planning agency for water quality • Implement projects or monitor and quantify benefits of watershed projects constructed by others. • Measure and document water quality improvements. • Work with watershed stakeholders on common water quality goals.

Chatfield Watershed Size: Approximately 400 mi 2 Location: Douglas, Jefferson, and El Paso counties Drainages: South Platte, Plum Creek, Deer Creek, and Massey Draw

Chatfield State Park – Most Highly Used State Park in Colorado

Through the Years - Chatfield Reservoir Water Quality Requirements • Regulation 73 is established in 1984 by WQCC – 27 ug/L established as the in-lake Phosphorus standard – Translated into permits as 0. 2 mg/L Phosphorus limit • 1993 – 59, 000 pounds TMAL – 17 ug/L set as Chlorophyll-a GOAL – POTW permit limits to 1. 0 mg/L 30 day average with annual pounds • Housekeeping changes in between • 2009 – TMAL revised to 19, 600 pounds/year – nearly 40, 000 lbs. reduction • What’s next? ? – POTW allocations? ?

Current Water Quality Standards • In-lake TP standard (July – Sep) - 30 ug/L; assessment threshold – 35 ug/L, 1 -in-5 year exceedance frequency. • In-lake chlorophyll-a standard (July – Sep) - 10 ug/L; assessment threshold – 11. 2 ug/L, 1 -in-5 year exceedance frequency. • Phosphorus TMAL of 19, 600 pounds. • In-lake swim beach E. coli standard of bacteria <126/100 m. L.

CWA Activities till Now • Participation from MS 4 s and POTWs and other affected entities • Funding from voluntary annual contributions • Some watershed studies • 2013 -2014 Watershed Planning effort • Monitor, monitor

Total Phosphorus Compliance In Chatfield Reservoir

Chlorophyll-a Compliance in Chatfield Reservoir

2013 Another Dry Year in the Chatfield Watershed

Chatfield Below the Phosphorus TMAL

Amateur Limnology • Building a reservoir and keeping water in it leads to eutrophication • One can’t control nature • Nutrients happen and no matter how low POTWs treat for them, nutrients will still happen in reservoirs – i. e. , non-point pollution • Thermoclines, turnover and internal loading happens • Have we been set up to fail by the latest control regulation modification? ? Probably • What recourse? • Better modelling of the watershed and reservoir

Chatfield Watershed Planning Effort included Nine Public Stakeholder Meetings in 2013

2014 Authority Priorities • Complete Watershed Plan. • Beginning a conversation on funding strategies to support the monitoring, studies, and projects identified in the Watershed Plan. • Partnerships • Continuing collaborative efforts with the Chatfield Reallocation Water Providers on data collection, modeling and water quality improvement projects. • Develop other partnerships – Other watershed groups – BMW – Agricultural interests – Upper SP Watershed

Questions? Photograph by Thad Roan