It Takes Everyone

In 2021 CCBWQA, our Member Entities, and Partners focused on meeting beneficial uses. Cherry Creek State Park has seen a record number of visitors, and Cherry Creek Reservoir continues to provide space where people enjoy recreating and connecting.

Planning for the Future

In addition to CCBWQA’s ongoing coordination, pollution reduction and reclamation projects, monitoring and analysis activities, CCBWQA strives to seek out and facilitate new and innovative opportunities to improve, protect and preserve water quality in the Basin. Several projects were initiated this year, including:

• A new weather station was installed that will better capture localized precipitation impacts, which are key to refining predictions from watershed and reservoir models;
• A Reservoir nutrient sediment sampling study was conducted to determine locations and concentrations of phosphorus stored in the Reservoir. This data, which will be reported in WY 2022, will help inform future management options;
• A vegetation removal (primarily cattails) pilot project was started in 2021 on Cottonwood Creek within Cherry Creek State Park. This work includes vegetation cutting and disposal; leaving the roots so it can regrow and regenerate (like mowing a lawn). The vegetation removal benefits water quality by preventing phosphorus and nitrogen from being carried to Cherry Creek Reservoir after the plants decay;
• CCBWQA is the proponent for a Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) limited scope Rulemaking Hearing (RMH) for the Cherry Creek Reservoir Control Regulation 72 that will occur in April, 2022. Changes proposed are intended to make the Stormwater Permit Requirements (CR Reg 72, Section 7) more user friendly and reflect advancements in best management practices and control measure technologies.

• link Cherry Creek Weather Station
• link Sediment Sampling Study
• link Vegetation Removal Pilot Project
• link Limited Scope RMH

Why Weather Matters

Weather data shows 2021 had above-average precipitation, especially in the spring and early summer. However, July and August were dry, with precipitation measuring 87% and 40% respectively based on the historical monthly averages.

Although the Reservoir did not see any significant cyanobacteria or blue green algae blooms that required closures to public swimming, the chlorophyll-α standard was not met.

thumb_down Chlorophyll-α concentrations in the Reservoir exceeded the growing season standard, with a mean concentration of 22.2 ug/L compared with a standard of 18 ug/L.

thumb_up The Reservoir met the aquatic life standards for temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH in WY 2021.

• link Monitoring Program Annual Report
• link Precipitation
• link Stream Flows
• link CCR Chlorophyll-a
• link CCR Nutrient Balance

Point Sources

Wastewater

Wastewater Effluents in the Cherry Creek Basin have less phosphorus than background sources. Total phosphorus discharge limits for WWTFs, which average less than 50μg/L (0.05 mg/L), were less than the 176 μg/L flow weighted concentration entering the reservoir from aggregated sources (surface and groundwater inflows, precipitation) in WY 2021.

Regulated Stormwater

MS4 permits for the Cherry Creek Basin require permittees to implement water quality control measures and the work done by CCBWQA’s Members with MS4 permits contribute to maintaining water quality in the Cherry Creek.

Find Out More About Point Sources

• link Wastewater Treatment Facilities
• link MS4s
• link Point Source Water Quality Partners