Sediment discharge in the Colorado River near De Beque, Colorado

A study was conducted to determine annual-sediment discharge at the site of a proposed reservoir on the Colorado River at Una, located 3 miles upstream from De Beque, Colorado. Eleven suspended sediment samples were collected during 1984 at the De Beque bridge. These data were combined with suspended sediment data collected for the Colorado River at two nearby streamflow gaging stations to define relations between suspended-sediment discharge and stream discharge. Best results were obtained when the data were separated into two periods, March through October, and November through February. The data for March through October were separated into two periods: (1) Rising stream-stage period, which includes data collected prior to the data of the annual peak-stream discharge, and (2) falling stream-stage period, which includes data collected after the date of the annual peak-stream discharge. Nine bedload samples were collected during 1984 to determine the contribution of bedload sediment discharge to total sediment discharge. Bedload accounted for < 2% of total sediment discharge. The best relations describing bedload sediment discharge were obtained when the bedload data were separated into two periods: (1) Data collected prior to the date of the annual peak-stream discharge, and (2) data collected after the date of the annual peak-stream discharge. Mean annual sediment discharge in the Colorado River at the proposed Una reservoir site was estimated to be 1,065,000 tons/year for October 1966 through September 1984. Water storage capacity of the proposed reservoir would decrease about 30% after 100 years at this sediment discharge rate. (USGS)