Sediment discharge in Rock Creek and the effect of sedimentation rate on the proposed Rock Creek Reservoir, northwestern Colorado

Sediment data collected from 1976 to 1985 and stream discharge data collected from 1952 to 1980 at gaging station 09060500, Rock Creek near Toponas, Colorado, were used to determine total sediment discharge into the proposed Rock Creek Reservoir. Suspended sediment discharge and bedload discharge were related to stream discharge by using logarithmic regression relations. Mean annual suspended sediment discharge was estimated to be 309 tons/yr, and mean annual bedload discharge was estimated to be 428 tons/yr in Rock Creek at the Toponas gaging station for the 1953 through 1980 water years. The mean annual total sediment discharge into the proposed reservoir was estimated to be 768 tons/yr, which includes 10% addition to the suspended sediment discharge calculated for the Toponas gaging station to account for suspended sediment discharge from Horse Creek. This rate of mean annual total sediment discharge would decrease the long-term water storage capacity of the proposed reservoir by < 1% after 100 years. Suspended sediment discharge/unit-drainage-basin area at gaging station 09060550, Rock Creek at Crater, located about 5 mi downstream for the proposed reservoir site, was equivalent to suspended-sediment discharge/unit-drainage-basin area at the Toponas gaging station during 1985. Long-term sediment data collection at the Crater gaging station could be used for detecting changes in suspended sediment discharge in Rock Creek at the proposed reservoir site. (Author 's abstract)