Summit Lake Area Watershed monitoring and special wetland study

The Association maintains 4 sampling stations downstream of Summit Lake in the upper Bear Creek, Mt Evans Wilderness, Clear Creek County Colorado. Since 2009, the Association has been investigating a pollution plume associated with recreational activities and previously leaking wastewater holding vaults near Summit Lake. The pollution plume is moving through the wetland Fen complex into Bear Creek. The Association has collected total nitrogen and total phosphorus pairs to predict the movement of the plume and estimate the loading impact to Bear Creek. The Association has monitored the fen complex since 2011 in several select fen ponds prior to discharge into upper Bear Creek.