City of Boulder Water Quality Monitoring
Boulder Creek Watershed
North Boulder Creek - Boulder Creek
Longitudinal Total Alkalinity Profiles for October, 1999

Preliminary Data - subject to revision


Marker Indicates no data available
Marker Indicates data exceeds plot scale.

Information on Total Alkalinity:

Alkalinity refers to how well a water body can neutralize acids. Alkalinity measures the amount of alkaline compounds in water, such as carbonates (CO3 2-), bicarbonates (HCO3 -), and hydroxides (OH-). These compounds are natural buffers that can remove excess hydrogen ions that have been added from sources such as acid rain or acid mine drainage. Alkalinity mitigates or relieves metals toxicity by using available HCO3 - and CO3 2- to take metals out of solution, thus making it unavailable to fish. Alkalinity is affected by the geology of the watershed; watersheds containing limestone will have a higher alkalinity than watersheds where granite is predominant. The Boulder Creek Watershed is composed primarily of granite rocks, thus the water has a lower alkalinity content.

More general information about Total Alkalinity
Measurement of Total Alkalinity
Factors affecting Total Alkalinity
Standards regarding Total Alkalinity
Interpretation of Boulder Creek Total Alkalinity data
Data Source: City of Boulder Water Quality Monitoring
Point of Contact: Chris Rudkin
Collection and Analysis notes
Analysis method: SM 2320B

Indicated monitoring site:

The above map indicates water quality monitoring sites. To view data at a specific site select it from the map with the mouse.


Plot Label SiteName Alk
mg/L as CaCO3
NBC-Lw North Boulder Creek diversion to Lakewood 15.1
NBC-FALLS North Boulder Creek at Boulder Falls 30.9
BC-ORO Boulder Creek at Orodell 23.2
BC-CAN Boulder Creek at Eben G. Fine Park 27.7
BC-61 Boulder Creek at 61st St. 59.8
BC-aWWTP Boulder Creek above WW Plant 75.2
BC-75 Boulder Creek at 75th St 145.8
BC-aDC Boulder Creek above Dry Creek 131.3
BC-95 Boulder Creek at 95th St 129.1
BC-107 Boulder Creek at 107th St 120.3
BC-aCC Boulder Creek Above Coal Creek No Data
BC-bCC Boulder Creek Below Coal Creek 248.2
*value below detection limit:
Detection Limit (if available) 1.0

Preliminary Data - subject to revision

Select on the parameter name to view more detailed information for that parameter in this month. Select on the site name to view data time series observed at that station. For monitoring site locations see site location map.

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