Leaflet | Tiles © Esri — Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, Intermap, iPC, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), and the GIS User Community
Eagle River: Brush Creek to Gypsum Creek
Current and Historical Drivers of Degradation
Significant alteration to riparian areas and floodplain structure exist throughout this reach, largely due to I-70 , Hwy 6, and the UPRR alignments. Legacy and current agricultural land uses have also resulted in floodplain filling, grading, or riparian deforestation. F
lows are altered on this reach by upstream water use and management. The frequency of peak flows equivalent to the natural 1-in-4 year flood declined by 33%. Peak flows during dry years declined 22% from natural historic conditions. Total flow volumes during dry years decreased 22%.
Nutrients are a minor emerging water quality concern. Ambient nutrient concentrations do not exceed regulatory standards for water quality but regularly exceed 50% of the standard value. Water temperatures in this section of the Eagle River often approach or exceed WQCD and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) thresholds for impairment of aquatic life. Warm water here may be a natural condition of the watershed or may also be impacted by flow alteration and other anthropogenic influences.
Elevated water temperature conditions impact the sport fishery and opportunities for recreational angling. CPW regularly implements summer fishing closures on this reach.
Report Card