The influence of urban hydrology on water quality in the South Platte
River, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Sarah Schliemann,
- Nels Grevstad,
- Randi Brazeau
Abstract
As the global population continues to shift into cities, urban
hydrologic systems are becoming increasingly important drivers of
overall water quality. Engineered waterways and impervious surfaces
strongly influence baseline flow, peak flow, and the transport of
pollutants in the urban environment. Between May 2016 -- May 2019, we
systematically measured water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen,
biochemical oxygen demand, and the concentrations of nitrate-N,
ammonia-N, and orthophosphate in the South Platte River in the Denver
metropolitan area, Colorado, USA. We found that the overall water
quality of the river decreased through the study area. In addition,
there appear to be several hotspots with consistently poor water
quality. While it is beyond the scope of this paper to determine the
specific sources of the hotspots, it seems likely that wastewater
treatment facilities contribute to elevated pollution levels. We also
found that water quality was strongly influenced by season. Decreased
natural flows during the late fall and winter lead to higher
concentrations of nutrients and lower dissolved oxygen levels. Most of
the samples collected in this study had nutrient levels that were out of
compliance with state regulations for nitrogen and phosphorus
concentrations while dissolved oxygen and temperature levels were better
than threshold values. Urban hydrologic systems are complex and
improving water-quality may be difficult. However, tightening of
water-quality standards could result in positive changes to this system.07 Apr 2020Submitted to Hydrological Processes 11 Apr 2020Submission Checks Completed
11 Apr 2020Assigned to Editor
11 Apr 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
25 Jun 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
25 Jun 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Major
23 Aug 20201st Revision Received
24 Aug 2020Assigned to Editor
24 Aug 2020Submission Checks Completed
24 Aug 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
30 Sep 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
02 Oct 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Major
29 Nov 20202nd Revision Received
30 Nov 2020Assigned to Editor
30 Nov 2020Submission Checks Completed
30 Nov 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
30 Nov 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
30 Nov 2020Editorial Decision: Accept