HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 11/7/2017 - Memorandum From Jared Heath Re: 2017 Summer Water Quality Update - Upper Cache La Poudre WatershedUtilities
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700 Wood Street
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6700
970.221.6619 – fax
970.224.6003 – TDD
utilities@fcgov.com
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M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: October 27, 2017
TO: Mayor Troxell and Councilmembers
FROM: Jared Heath, Watershed Specialist
THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Kevin R. Gertig, Utilities Executive Director
RE: 2017 Summer Water Quality Update – Upper Cache la Poudre Watershed
Bottom Line:
In the shared interest of monitoring the Upper Cache la Poudre (CLP) River drinking water
supply, the City of Fort Collins, the City of Greeley, and the Soldier Canyon Water Authority
partnered in 2008 to implement the Upper CLP Collaborative Watershed Monitoring Program.
The overarching goal of this monitoring effort is to assist the participants in meeting current and
future drinking water treatment goals by reporting water quality conditions and trends within the
Upper CLP watershed. The attached water quality update provides a brief summary of
precipitation, streamflow and drought conditions over the 2017 water year, as well as water
quality during the summer months of July, August, and September.
Background:
The seasonal water quality updates are designed to inform the Upper CLP Watershed
Collaborative Monitoring Program partners, their customers, and other community stakeholders
about the condition of our source watershed and the quality of the raw drinking water supply.
Seasonal reporting began in 2015 to provide a succinct and timely summary of current-year
conditions in the Upper CLP Watershed. Seasonal updates are published for the spring, summer,
and fall seasons.
In depth water quality reporting is done through annual and five-year technical reports. All water
quality reports and seasonal updates are made publicly available on the Fort Collins Utilities
website, fcgov.com/utilities/what-we-do/water/water-quality/source-water-monitoring.
Summer 2017 Highlights:
Over the 2017 water year, monthly air temperatures were above the long-term average for most
months. Precipitation measured above the long-term average, limiting drought to only a small
area of the Upper CLP watershed by the end of the water year. Summer streamflow near the
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canyon mouth was below the long-term average due to warm weather through the summer
months. Under these conditions, key water quality indicators were within the range of values
observed over the long-term summer monitoring record. The Upper CLP watershed continues to
be a reliable, high quality drinking water source.
CC: Carol Webb, Water Resources and Treatment Operations Manager, Utilities
Jill Oropeza, Water Quality Services Manager, Utilities
Richard Thorp, Watershed Program Manager, Utilities
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