Water quality standards are an important part of maintaining a healthy environment. They provide a framework for understanding the desired state of a body of water and the levels of water components needed to achieve a given use. In North-Central Colorado, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), is the primary law that addresses water pollution. This article will provide an expert's guide to understanding water quality standards in North-Central Colorado. The CWA was created in 1948 and has been amended several times since then.
It outlines the data and other pertinent information that must be collected and analyzed to facilitate the revision of each site-specific standard. Every month, ecologists take water samples at numerous monitoring sites located near or at ten National Park Service units in Utah and Colorado. The results are reported to the Water Quality Control Division, and this data is used to determine if the dischargers meet permit requirements or if legal action is necessary to ensure compliance. The commission's provisions in Regulation 31.7 (allow the adoption of a discharger-specific variation (DSV)), which is a temporary standard that provides the highest possible degree of protection for a classified use, while temporarily authorizing alternative effluent limits (AEL) for the discharge of specific contaminants and specific point sources when it is not feasible to meet effluent limits based on water quality (WQBEL). To ensure that the Commission can review site-specific regulations in the future, as required by the Colorado Water Quality Control Act, site-specific regulations may be accompanied by longevity plans. Growing public awareness and concern about water pollution has led to several initiatives to protect water quality in North-Central Colorado.
Silt fences, adequate setbacks, drain filters, and a design sufficient to maximize runoff have proven successful in alleviating many of the contaminants and negative impacts on water quality that result from roadworks (U. S. EPA, 199). Activities and developments such as road construction and maintenance, logging, grazing, mountain villages, the use of all-terrain vehicles, and ski areas can also produce contaminants that can affect water quality (USGS, 2000; WeCo, 201).
In addition to state-funded monitoring, authorized point source dischargers must routinely monitor their own discharges and the effects on receiving bodies of water. Groups and organizations that state and federal agencies also control water quality in Colorado, including universities, watershed groups, municipalities, and private industry. The Geological Survey's (USGS) National Water Information System (NWIS) is a comprehensive, distributed application that supports the acquisition, processing, and long-term storage of water data. The program not only provides water monitoring data but also encourages environmental stewardship among all its volunteers (Colorado Watershed Assembly, n). In addition, for each document listed in the State Standards in effect for the purposes of the CWA, the EPA has made a reasonable effort to identify the parts of the rules that are not approved or are otherwise not in effect for the purposes of the CWA. Understanding water quality standards in North-Central Colorado is essential for maintaining a healthy environment.
The CWA provides a framework for collecting data and analyzing it to ensure compliance with permit requirements. In addition to state-funded monitoring programs, authorized point source dischargers must routinely monitor their own discharges and their effects on receiving bodies of water. Various initiatives have been implemented to reduce contaminants from activities such as road construction and maintenance, logging, grazing, mountain villages, all-terrain vehicle use, and ski areas. The USGS National Water Information System provides comprehensive support for acquiring, processing, and storing water data.
Finally, environmental stewardship is encouraged through programs such as those offered by universities, watershed groups, municipalities, private industry, and other organizations.
