Big Dry Creek Watershed: A Scientific Approach to Prioritizing Watershed Protection Activities

Since 1997, the Big Dry Creek Watershed Association has been working to scientifically assess conditions in the Big Dry Creek watershed. The Association has worked diligently to serve as a forum where a variety of perspectives can be expressed and considered as watershed concerns and issues are explored. The mission of the Association is "to develop a sound scientific understanding of water quality, flow, aquatic life and habitat conditions in the Big Dry Creek watershed for the purposes of 1) environmentally responsible decision-making with regard to land and stream uses and 2) identifying measures to improve and protect stream conditions." The Big Dry Creek Partnership, which includes the Cities of Broomfield, Northglenn and Westminster and Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Rocky Flats), founded the Watershed Association and operates as a steering committee for the Association. These four entities discharge wastewater into Big Dry Creek and have been heavily involved in monitoring stream conditions for many years. The Association has been funded by contributions from the steering committee parties and several grants from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Colorado Water Quality Control Division (CWQCD). In addition to the steering committee, EPA and CWQCD, other participants include the City of Thornton, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Colorado Division of Wildlife, Denver Regional Council of Governments, local ditch companies, farmers, and other watershed residents. In addition to stakeholder development, key activities completed by the Association over the last few years include collection of biological, chemical and physical data and integrated analysis of these data. The remainder of this paper focuses on the monitoring and data analysis approach used in the Big Dry Creek Watershed to form a sound scientific basis for prioritizing future activities in the watershed.