ABSTRACT
The South Platte River Basin, Colorado, was selected as the study area. The river basin is part of the Missouri River drainage system. The South Platte River Basin lies in two major physiographic regions, the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains. Streams originate in higher mountainous elevations with pristine water quality, and gradually yield to degradation as elevation diminishes and human encroachment increases. Major sectors of employment in the river basin include manufacturing, service industries, education, and government. The South Platte River Basin contains 267 lakes and reservoirs suitable for shoreline fishing, about 38 percent of the 711 lakes and reservoirs in the state. The Colorado Water Quality Control Act of 1973 required water in the state to be maintained and enhanced for the propagation of wildlife and aquatic life and for domestic, agricultural, industrial, recreational, and other beneficial uses. The mountainous area referred to as the Colorado Mineral Belt contains most of the state's ore deposits and mining activity.
