Dissolved and total particles become suspended in a stream in a variety of ways such as natural erosion, acid rock drainage from mines, acid runoff over mine waste, and runoff from streets and highways. Other ways include effluent from sewage treatment plants, return flow from irrigation, and groundwater from springs and irrigation pumping. Both suspended … Read more
A stream like the Uncompahgre River transports many substances as it flows through a variety of geologic, land use, vegetation, and urban areas. The substances include suspended bits of soil and rock, organic material, nutrients, bacteria, and dissolved and undissolved metals. Suspended materials, particularly those containing metals like iron, can produce different colors in streams … Read more
Surface water erosion is the primary cause of landslides. When intense periods of rainfall or snowmelt saturate the landscape, it softens the soils mixed within various sizes of rocks and boulders below ground level. The water flow also finds its way into air pockets underground. As the ground becomes more unstable, gravity nudges the heavy … Read more
