Assessment of water resources at Fort Carson Military Reservation near Colorado Springs, Colorado

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5286302

Leonard, G J

The Fort Carson Military Reservation adjoins the Colorado Springs metropolitan area. Fort Carson purchases an average of 3400 acre-feet of treated water annually from the city of Colorado Springs. Locally available surface-water resources are limited and are fully appropriated. The occurrence of precipitation and streamflow at Fort Carson is unevenly distributed in time. The streams that enter Fort Carson have an estimated average annual discharge of more than 6240 acre-feet upstream from diversions for municipal and domestic water supplies. Ground water is available at Fort Carson from alluvial and bedrock aquifers. The alluvial aquifer with the greatest potential for water production occurs along Little Fountain and Rock Creeks in the eastern part of Fort Carson where the alluvium is about 60 ft thick and well yields greater than 100 gpm have been obtained. The bedrock aquifer with the greatest potential for water production is the Dakota-Purgatoire aquifer which underlies most of Fort Carson. The Dakota-Purgatoire aquifer, which is exposed at the surface in the southwestern part of Fort Carson, dips steeply to the south and east and is 1500 to 2000 feet below the land surface along the eastern boundary of Fort Carson. Well yields greater than 100 gpm have been obtained in the southern part of Fort Carson where the bedrock units have been structurally deformed. The potential for development of dependable water supplies at Fort Carson is good. Additional reservoir storage would be needed to provide a dependable water supply from streamflow. Integrated use of surface water and ground water with the storage capacity of the alluvial aquifer along Little Fountain and Rock Creeks could provide a dependable water supply. Significant well yields can be obtained from the Dakota-Purgatoire aquifer, but treatment will be required prior to use for drinking water. 32 refs., 18 figs., 18 tabs.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Lakewood, CO (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5286302
• Report Number(s): USGS/WRI-83-4270; ON: TI86900037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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58 GEOSCIENCES
580100 -- Geology & Hydrology-- (-1989)
AQUIFERS
COLORADO
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
MILITARY FACILITIES
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES
SURFACE WATERS
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WATER
WATER QUALITY
WATER RESOURCES