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-  Colorado Water Science Center 
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#           Water-Quality Sampling at Five Hydrologic Benchmark Stations in the Western United States      

  Completed

      By Colorado Water Science Center      October 1, 2001    

            -              Overview           
            -              Publications           

The Hydrologic Benchmark Network (HBN) was established in 1963 to provide long-term measurements of streamflow and water quality in areas of the United States that are minimally affected by human activities.

 

 

Historically, the HBN has used a fixed-interval sampling strategy, however other more robust sampling strategies are now available. Trend networks, for example, can take advantage of recent advances in hydrochemical modeling to devise more powerful approaches for detecting trends that may be due to environmental changes, such as atmospheric deposition or climate change.

By creating concentration-discharge models that also incorporate seasonality, it is possible to account for variations in stream chemistry due to changes in flow or season. This makes it possible to isolate trends that may be due to environmental changes, such as atmospheric deposition or climate change.

**OBJECTIVES:**

To develop improved sampling strategies for detecting surface-water trends in high-elevation, snowmelt dominated basins in the western United States.

**Five basins in the study are part of the Hydrologic Benchmark Network: **
                                - Halfmoon Creek near Malta, Colorado
                                - Merced River at Happy Isles Bridge near Yosemite, California
                                - Sagehen Creek near Truckee, California
                                - Swiftcurrent Creek at Many Glacier, Montana
                                - Vallecito Creek near Bayfield, Colorado

### Contacts

####             David W Clow (Former Employee)          

##### Research Hydrologist

Colorado Water Science Center

#### M. Alisa Mast

##### Research Hydrologist

Colorado Water Science Center

mamast@usgs.gov

303-236-6989

### Explore Search

                      - Water Quality
                      - Surface Water
                      - Water

View All **

Below are publications associated with this project.

May 29, 2013

####                 Evaluation of stream chemistry trends in US Geological Survey reference watersheds, 1970-2010              

Water Resources Mission Area, Colorado Water Science Center

September 1, 2000

####                 Environmental characteristics and water quality of hydrologic benchmark network stations in the western United States, 1963-95              

Water Resources Mission Area, Colorado Water Science Center

September 1, 2000

####                 Environmental characteristics and water quality of hydrologic benchmark network stations in the west-central United States, 1963-95              

Water Resources Mission Area, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

January 1, 1996

####                 Controls on surface water chemistry in the upper Merced River basin, Yosemite National Park, California              

Colorado Water Science Center

The Hydrologic Benchmark Network (HBN) was established in 1963 to provide long-term measurements of streamflow and water quality in areas of the United States that are minimally affected by human activities.

 

 

Historically, the HBN has used a fixed-interval sampling strategy, however other more robust sampling strategies are now available. Trend networks, for example, can take advantage of recent advances in hydrochemical modeling to devise more powerful approaches for detecting trends that may be due to environmental changes, such as atmospheric deposition or climate change.

By creating concentration-discharge models that also incorporate seasonality, it is possible to account for variations in stream chemistry due to changes in flow or season. This makes it possible to isolate trends that may be due to environmental changes, such as atmospheric deposition or climate change.

**OBJECTIVES:**

To develop improved sampling strategies for detecting surface-water trends in high-elevation, snowmelt dominated basins in the western United States.

**Five basins in the study are part of the Hydrologic Benchmark Network: **
                                - Halfmoon Creek near Malta, Colorado
                                - Merced River at Happy Isles Bridge near Yosemite, California
                                - Sagehen Creek near Truckee, California
                                - Swiftcurrent Creek at Many Glacier, Montana
                                - Vallecito Creek near Bayfield, Colorado

### Contacts

####             David W Clow (Former Employee)          

##### Research Hydrologist

Colorado Water Science Center

#### M. Alisa Mast

##### Research Hydrologist

Colorado Water Science Center

mamast@usgs.gov

303-236-6989

### Explore Search

                      - Water Quality
                      - Surface Water
                      - Water

View All **

Below are publications associated with this project.

May 29, 2013

####                 Evaluation of stream chemistry trends in US Geological Survey reference watersheds, 1970-2010              

Water Resources Mission Area, Colorado Water Science Center

September 1, 2000

####                 Environmental characteristics and water quality of hydrologic benchmark network stations in the western United States, 1963-95              

Water Resources Mission Area, Colorado Water Science Center

September 1, 2000

####                 Environmental characteristics and water quality of hydrologic benchmark network stations in the west-central United States, 1963-95              

Water Resources Mission Area, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

January 1, 1996

####                 Controls on surface water chemistry in the upper Merced River basin, Yosemite National Park, California              

Colorado Water Science Center