Water Resources of the Colville River Special Area, NPR-A

In July 2000, the BLM began a systematic inventory of the water resources of the Colville River Special Area, as recommended by the Record of Decision for the Northeast National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement. Six lakes and seventeen river sites were surveyed to provide baseline limnological and hydrological information for the Special Area. Field crews measured streamflow, surveyed channel geometry, and collected water quality samples. Drainage basins and their physical characteristics were determined using Geographic Information System analysis. A hydrologic basin map was produced. Flood frequency relationships and bankfull discharge were estimated using computer models. The basin characteristics, streamflow data, channel geometry, and water quality information will be used to characterize those areas subject to future management plans and mitigate potential disturbances in site-specific environmental analyses.