Water Quality

Water is an important part of our daily lives. We die without it, and can get sick if chemicals or bacteria infiltrate our water sources. The Water Quality Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has recently released “Status of Water Quality in Colorado – 2008“, an assessment of water quality throughout the state. The report identifies pollution sources, and also evaluates water for recreational uses and propagation of aquatic life (“fishability”). You can look up a stream or creek in your area to learn about pollution issues. This study comes out every two years — if you are interested in comparing changes in our water resources over time, we have reports going back to 1978 at the State Publications Library.

For more information on Colorado’s water resources, try the following websites:

Colorado Drinking Water Program
Water Quality Control Division
Colorado Quality Resource Documents (publications on current water quality, and documents on individual watersheds)
Colorado Division of Water Resources –Real-time stream flow data, and other information
Colorado Water Conservation Board–History of Colorado Water Law, information on snowmelt flooding, watershed protection, and links to water statistics and data.
Citizen’s Guide to Water Quality Protection (by the Colorado Foundation for Water Education)