Impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban Colorado South Platte tributaries
Wastewater treatment plant effluent can increase stream water temperature from near freezing to 5°C–12°C in winter months. Recent research in the South Platte River Basin in Colorado showed that this warming alters the reproductive timing of some fishes. However, the spatial extent and magnitude of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1120412/full |
| _version_ | 1797850963175800832 |
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| author | Catherine M. Adams Dana L. Winkelman Ryan M. Fitzpatrick |
| author_facet | Catherine M. Adams Dana L. Winkelman Ryan M. Fitzpatrick |
| author_sort | Catherine M. Adams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wastewater treatment plant effluent can increase stream water temperature from near freezing to 5°C–12°C in winter months. Recent research in the South Platte River Basin in Colorado showed that this warming alters the reproductive timing of some fishes. However, the spatial extent and magnitude of this warming are unknown. Thus, we created winter water temperature models both upstream and downstream of effluent inputs for two urban tributaries of the South Platte River, the Big Thompson River, and St. Vrain Creek. We examined the influence of air temperature, discharge, effluent temperature, and distance downstream on water temperature over the winter period (December–February). The models were also used to predict water temperature in the absence of effluent and based on air temperature predictions in 2052 and 2082. Effluent temperature was the largest driver of water temperature downstream of the effluent, while the impact of air temperature was comparatively small. Streams cooled after an initially sharp temperature increase, though were still predicted to be ∼2°C greater than they would be in the absence of effluent at ∼0.5 km. Predicted air temperatures in 2052 and 2082 had a negligible effect on water temperature, suggesting that mitigating effluent temperature is key to protecting the winter thermal regimes of effluent-impacted rivers. Our models can be used to gain insight into the magnitude and downstream extent of the impact of effluent temperature on small urban streams in winter and provide a baseline for models in other watersheds and at larger scales. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:09:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4147321e0b5743078c8aa21729bbf8e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-665X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:09:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4147321e0b5743078c8aa21729bbf8e72023-04-07T04:21:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2023-04-011110.3389/fenvs.2023.11204121120412Impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban Colorado South Platte tributariesCatherine M. Adams0Dana L. Winkelman1Ryan M. Fitzpatrick2Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fish Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesU.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fish Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesColorado Parks and Wildlife, Research, Policy, and Planning Section, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesWastewater treatment plant effluent can increase stream water temperature from near freezing to 5°C–12°C in winter months. Recent research in the South Platte River Basin in Colorado showed that this warming alters the reproductive timing of some fishes. However, the spatial extent and magnitude of this warming are unknown. Thus, we created winter water temperature models both upstream and downstream of effluent inputs for two urban tributaries of the South Platte River, the Big Thompson River, and St. Vrain Creek. We examined the influence of air temperature, discharge, effluent temperature, and distance downstream on water temperature over the winter period (December–February). The models were also used to predict water temperature in the absence of effluent and based on air temperature predictions in 2052 and 2082. Effluent temperature was the largest driver of water temperature downstream of the effluent, while the impact of air temperature was comparatively small. Streams cooled after an initially sharp temperature increase, though were still predicted to be ∼2°C greater than they would be in the absence of effluent at ∼0.5 km. Predicted air temperatures in 2052 and 2082 had a negligible effect on water temperature, suggesting that mitigating effluent temperature is key to protecting the winter thermal regimes of effluent-impacted rivers. Our models can be used to gain insight into the magnitude and downstream extent of the impact of effluent temperature on small urban streams in winter and provide a baseline for models in other watersheds and at larger scales.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1120412/fullwinter water temperatureurban riverswastewater treatment effluentSouth Platte river basintemperature model |
| spellingShingle | Catherine M. Adams Dana L. Winkelman Ryan M. Fitzpatrick Impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban Colorado South Platte tributaries Frontiers in Environmental Science winter water temperature urban rivers wastewater treatment effluent South Platte river basin temperature model |
| title | Impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban Colorado South Platte tributaries |
| title_full | Impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban Colorado South Platte tributaries |
| title_fullStr | Impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban Colorado South Platte tributaries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban Colorado South Platte tributaries |
| title_short | Impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban Colorado South Platte tributaries |
| title_sort | impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban colorado south platte tributaries |
| topic | winter water temperature urban rivers wastewater treatment effluent South Platte river basin temperature model |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1120412/full |
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