Modeling Watershed Protection Strategies for the Aurora Reservoir Watershed

Development in drinking water watersheds poses many water quality challenges. The level of water quality protection required goes beyond typical best management practices (BMPs) that are used for development in non-drinking water watersheds. To assess the treatment strategies that will protect the water quality of the reservoir two elements must be considered: (1) the allowable pollutant loading for the reservoir and (2) the loading from the development given a variety of treatment strategies. Water quality models serve as a tool for evaluation of both of these elements in the planning stages of a development. This paper presents a water quality model developed for evaluating pollutant loading from development projects in the Aurora Reservoir watershed in the Denver metropolitan area in Colorado, USA. A major developer in the watershed, Laing/Village Homes (LVH); has worked closely with the City of Aurora (Aurora) to develop a water quality treatment system for the Southshore development that will limit pollutant loadings to the reservoir to a level that will protect the water quality of this drinking water supply. LVH has developed a model for evaluation of pollutant loadings from the development; Aurora is working to determine allowable pollutant loadings to the reservoir.