Historical, physical, and chemical limnology of Twin Lakes, Colorado

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:6355582

Sartoris, J J; LaBounty, J F; Newkirk, H D

The study is an attempt to quantify the impacts of construction and operation of a pumped-storage powerplant on a montain lake environment by means of detailed investigations of the pre- and post-operation limnology of Twin Lakes, Colorado. This report covers a 5-year study of the preoperation physical and chemical limnology of the lakes and includes a summary of earlier limnological work. Twin Lakes are a pair of second-class dimictic, connected, montane, drainage lakes of glacial origin. Chemically, Twin Lakes are soft, dilute calcium bicarbonate lakes with large accumulations of heavy metals, including iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and lead, in the bottom sediments. During periods of thermal stratification, hypolimnetic oxygen may become depleted to such an extent that reducing conditions at the sediment-water interface allow significant quantities of these metals to diffuse into the water column.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO (USA). Engineering and Research Center
• OSTI ID: 6355582
• Report Number(s): PB-283848
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
250300 -- Energy Storage-- Pumped Hydro-- (-1989)
520500* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMISTRY
COLORADO
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GEOCHEMISTRY
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
LAKES
LIMNOLOGY
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
PEAKING POWER PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
PUMPED STORAGE POWER PLANTS
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SURFACE WATERS
USA