Nutrients in the South Platte River, 1993-95

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as part of its National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program has been collecting and analyzing water samples from streams in the South Platte River Basin in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming to characterize the water-quality conditions within the basin. Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus compounds) have been a focus of this sampling effort because of their potential effects on the use of the water. Water samples were collected at sites along the South Platte River during different seasons. Preliminary findings indicated that nutrient concentrations in the South Platte River do not exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) drinking-water standards, but nutrient concentrations do occur at high enough levels to accelerate growth of algae and other aquatic plants.