Traveltime and Reaeration of Selected Streams in the North Platte and Yampa River Basins, Colorado

摘要

Various energy-resource developments, such as coal and oil shale, are now (1986) operational or being planned in Colorado. Policy decisions that affect the location and extent of energy development require consideration of all aspects of environmental effect. One possible environmental problem concerns the population growth associated with energy development and related stream water-quality problems caused by increased waste-water discharges to streams. Traveltime and reaeration measurements on selected streams in energy-development areas can provide useful data about stream dispersion characteristics. To provide the information, the U.S. Geological Survey made a study of the traveltime and reaeration characteristics of selected streams in the North Platte and Yampa River basins during 1980 to 1982. Traveltime characteristics were measured using rhodamine-WT dye as a tracer. Reaeration coefficients were determined using the modified tracer technique with ethlyene and propane gas for selected stream reaches during low flow conditions.