San Juan Watershed Program Funded Projects 2017 2021


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San Juan Watershed Program
Funded Projects 2017-2021

From 2017 to 2021, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act funded a long-term water
quality program for the watershed. EPA, states, and tribes within the watershed—Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico,
Utah, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Southern LJte Indian Tribe—have worked together to assess,
protect, and restore the condition of the watershed.

The table below highlights the projects funded under this program as of Spring 2022. The projects are organized
based on their purpose (monitor, assess, inform, and act) and the uses of the waters they are intended to support.

Agriculture	Aquatic Life	Cultural	Drinking Water ^ Recreation

Monitor i | Assess	|9 Inform	Act

Project Descriptions and Leading Entity1

Use(s)

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A



Assess and evaluate existing water quality standards for water used for livestock
and agricultural irrigation to evaluate the need for new or revised water quality
standards (NN).

4









Evaluate the effects of metals in the Animas and San Juan Rivers water on the
attainment of water quality standards for livestock watering and crop irrigation' (NMED).

A









Sample fish in the Animas and San Juan Rivers to- determine the presence of select
metals, organics, and emerging contaminants (NN).



d







Investigate the sources,, and thelr contribution, of contaminants of concern in tributaries
to the San Juan River (NN).



*







Evaluate the natural arinual variability of benthic macro invertebrates in the Upper
Animas River and develop correlation relationships: between benthic macroinvertebrate
metrics and metals exposure: (CDPHE).



4







1 Abbreviations: Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE); New Mexico Environment Department (NMED);
Navajo Nation (NN); Southern Ute Indian Tribe (SUIT); Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ); and
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (UMUT)

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Project Descriptions and Leading Entity1

Use(s)

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*



Assess water quality in the middle Animas River Canyon to understand appropriate
stream segments for future water quality segmentation and standard setting (CDPHE).



4







Conduct benthic macroirivertebrate monitoring to determine if 9 measurable
improvement in aquatic insect abundance and diversity has occurred following the
completion of the Bullion King Mine remediation project (CDPHE).



4







Identify and delineate the extent of cultural uses of Animas River waters to understand
how contaminants may affect tribal uses (SUIT).





4





Evaluate connectivity between surface water and groundwater along the Animas River
(NMED and CDPHE).







4



Identify metals or other constituents of concern in the Lake Farmington Reservoir
sediment and evaluate concentrations of deposited metals (NMED).







4



Conduct S Lake Powell sediment coring study to better understand the ceheefitration,
loading, distribution, bioavailability, and source of metals in the lake and evaluate
impactson water quality, human health, and aquatic:life:(UDEQ).



4





4

Analyze Lake Powell porewater samples to determine bioavailability of metals in
bottom water environments of Lake Powell and the relationship between sediment and
p o re water c he m i st ry (U D E Q).



4





4

Maintain sondes'throughout the watershed to provide real-time data that can inform
management decisions, including closure of drinking water intakes (EPA on behalf of
states and tribes, CDPHE).

4

4

4

4

4

Monitor water quality in beaver ecosystems to determine the extent to which
mining-related contaminants are reduced or removed from adjacent and downstream
waters (CDPl-lE).

4

4

4

4

4

Deliver suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and total metal concentrations and
loads in near real time using acoustic Doppler velocity meters (ADVMs) to correlate:
sound Waves to SSC. Develop Correlation between SSC and total metalsto compute
total loads to Lake Powell (UDEQ).

4

4

4

4

4

Use mobile sondes: along the Animas River to relay data via cell phone or satellite
signal to tribaj.servers for public: access via a website (SUIT).

4

4

4

4

4

Collect water, sediment, and biological samples to better understand the condition of
the watershed (EPA on behalf of states and tribes).

4

4

4

4

4

Maintain stream gages to monitor four San Juan tributaries to better understand
water quality, real-time discharge, and how flows are informed by storm events: and
snowmelt (NN).

4

4

4

4

4

Conduct detailed geoshemical analyses to understand sources of nitrate and other
nitrogen species in the watershed and understand how to better manage these
Sources (NMED).

4

4

4

4

4

Conduct monitoring to determine:source:s of elevated aluminum in the Florida: and
Animas Rivers (SUIT).

4

4

4

4

4

Collect fish tissue and berrthic macroiiivertebrate samples to understand if
bioaccumulation of metals and certain organic compounds is occurring in the Animas
River, and how it is affecting the river ecosystem (SUIT).

4

4

4

4

4

Assess nutrient contributions from the Florida River to the Animas River (SUIT).

4

4

4

4

4

Assess metal sources, mobilization, and potential for downstream toxicity in the East
Fork Mancos River, which is impacted by drainage from historical mines and natural
background metal concentrations (UMUT).

4

4

4

4

4

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Project Descriptions and Leading Entity1

Use(s)

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Conduct an assessment of per-and polyfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS),
pharmaeeutiCBlSt and personal Gate products to identify whether these contaminants
are occurring within the Animas and Florida watersheds within the boundaries of the
Southern Ute Reservation, and provide a baseline for future-studies: (SUIT).

Conduct watershed-wide water quality benthic macroinvertebrate, and physical habitat
monitoring to better understand the condition of thf watershed.

Evaluate a watershed-wide modeling effort in the San Juan River drainage to
provide i; framework to identify areas of importance for resource prioritization and
implementation of best management options to restorewater quality (UDEQ).

Develop a watershed plan for the Lower San Juan Watershed (UDEQ).

Develop: a comprehensive five-year Reservation-wide-water quality assessment
to enable a more efficient, targeted approach to implementing best management
practices On the Reservation (SUIT).

Develop a model to estimate metals concentrations * the Animas and San Juan Rivers.
Explore the potential for the model to function as a predictive tool to forecast metals
concentrations in the rivers based on precipitation data in the watershed (NMED).

Complete a source assessment to address risks to human health and the environment
posed by elevated levels Of gross alpha and uranium in the Cottonwood Wash
watershed (UMUT).

Analyzewater quality data from the watershed to better understand overall health and
communicate findings to stakeholders (UDEQ).

Develop a San Juan Watershed Assessment and Information Synthesis bas#d on
information available to date (EPA).

Develop the EPA Program website, factsheets, resource library, and other
comprehensive outreach materials to- support the Program, and EPA (EPA).

Develop UDEQ Program website (UDEQ).

Develop: a San Juan Watershed Assessment and Information Synthesis: based
en information available to date to communicate watershed condition relative to
designated use (EPA).

Establish and support a Silverton, CO-based Communications and outreach liaison
position (CDPHE).

Support the Water Resources Research Institute in New Mexico in the development
and execution of the third, fourth, and fifth annual conferences on the San Juan
Watershed (NMED),

Develop a public relations strategy and communicate the benefits Of buying locally
grown produce to: stakeholders in the watershed through (NMED)

Implement agricultural BMPs to reducenutrfent and' sediment loading to the Animas-
Los Pinos sub-basins and the greater watershed. (SUIT).

Implement Phase 3 ofthe Lower Animas Watershed Based Plan Implementation
Projects to reduce pollutant loading for turbidity, nutrients, total phosphorus,
temperature, and total dissolved lead, and help the river achieve- its: cool water aquatic
life designated use (NMED).

Develop reliable wells to reduce pressure on heavily used riparian areas, improve
range conditions improve habitats, and restore the watershed (UDEQ).

Explore the convening of a possible watershed group(s) to lead the San Juan
Watershed Program at the end of WiiN Act funding (EPA, UDEQ).

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Use(s)

Project Descriptions and Leading Entity1

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Close an abandoned well that is contributing high concentrations: of salts and elevated
levels of arsenic to the San Juan River (NN),

4

4

4

4

4

Reduce hazardous fuels and build forest resiliency in the Florida River of the Upper
Colorado basin to increase forest health treatments in rural'communities (CDPHE).

<1

4

4

4

4

Remediate the Thunder Mine site to reduce metal contributions: to the; East Fork
MancQS River (UMUT).

4

4

4

4

4

Plan and execute restoration activities along priority degraded reaches Of Spring Creek
to reduce nonpoint source pollution (SUIT).

4

4

4

4

4

identify, evaluate, and address mines within the Utah portion of the watershed that are
impacting water resources through direct discharge or surface water contact with waste
material (UDEQ).

4

4

4

4

4

EPA 841-F-22-003	JUNE 2022	https://www.epa.gov/saniuanwatershed

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