San Juan Watershed Condition Fact Sheets and Resources

Watershed Condition Fact Sheets

The fact sheets below describe monitoring activities in the San Juan Watershed and present results from state and tribal assessments of water quality relative to the standards they established under the CWA for agricultural, recreational, and ecological uses. The fact sheets also provide findings from other studies of watershed condition, including monitoring funded under the WIIN Act.

• San Juan Watershed: Water Quality and Agriculture (pdf) (506.95 KB)
• San Juan Watershed: Water Quality and Ecological Health (pdf) (389.09 KB)
• San Juan Watershed: Water Quality and Recreation (pdf) (346.9 KB)

Watershed Condition Assessments

• Background on Water and Sediment Monitoring (pdf) (432.45 KB)
• Background on Physical Habitat Assessments (pdf) (333.96 KB)
• Background on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring (pdf) (414.02 KB)
• Background on Sondes in the Watershed (pdf) (426.85 KB)

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring and Habitat Assessments

The document below summarizes results from Fall 2019 benthic macroinvertebrate sampling at thirteen locations within the watershed and habitat assessments conducted concurrently with this sampling.

• Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Habitat Assessment Results 2019 (DRAFT) (pdf) (5.35 MB)

Additional Resources

The following resources provide additional information on monitoring, assessment, research, standards development, and other activities to assess and manage watershed condition in the San Juan and adjacent watersheds.

• 2021 San Juan Human Bacteria Sampling and Investigation Study, Final Report (pdf) (5.88 MB, June 2022) )
• 2020 Navajo Nation Water Quality Standards for Metals and Protection of Crops, Livestock, and Humans (pdf) (2.59 MB, April 2020)
• 2017 Navajo Nation San Juan River Fish Tissue Contaminant Study, Final Report (pdf) (984.33 KB, November 2017)
• 2018 Navajo Nation Upper San Juan River Watershed Surface Water Quality Assessment Report (Integrated 305(b) Report and 303(d) Listing) (pdf) (1.25 MB, February 2019)
• 2018 Navajo Nation Mancos River Watershed Surface Water Quality Assessment Report  (pdf) (1.21 MB, January 2018)
• 2016 Navajo Nation Chaco River Watershed Preliminary Surface Water Quality Assessment Report (Integrated 305(b)) Report and 303(d) Listing) (pdf) (7.49 MB, February 2016)
• 2016 Navajo Nation Chinle Wash Watershed Preliminary Surface Water Quality Assessment Report (Integrated 305(b)) Report and 303(d) Listing) (pdf) (3.8 MB, February 2016)
• 2016 Navajo Nation San Juan River Watersheds Preliminary Surface Water Quality Assessment Report (Integrated 305(b)) Report and 303(d) Listing) (pdf) (2.69 MB, February 2016)
• 2012 Navajo Nation McElmo Creek Surface Water Quality Assessment Report (Integrated 305(b)) Report and 303(d) Listing) (pdf) (3.34 MB, November 2012)
• Detailed study of selenium and selected constituents in water, bottom sediment, soil, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the San Juan River area, New Mexico, 1991-95 (USGS, 1998) (pdf) (12.97 MB, 1998)
• Physical, chemical, and biological data for detailed study of irrigation drainage in the San Juan River area, New Mexico, 1993-94, with supplemental data, 1991-95 (USGS, 1997) (pdf) (13.3 MB, 1997)
• Environmental Contaminants in Biota from San Juan River and Selected Tributaries in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah (Wilson, et al, 1995 (pdf) (6.83 MB, 1995)
• Reconnaissance Investigation of Water Quality, Bottom Sediment, and Biota Associated with Irrigation Drainage in the San Juan River Area, San Juan County, Northwestern New Mexico, 1990-1991 (Blanchard et al, 1993) (pdf) (3.29 MB, 1993)
• Summary of Residue Analysis of Biota Collected for the Department of the Interior Reconnaissance Investigation of Irrigation Drainage in the San Juan River Area, Northwestern New Mexico (O’Brien and Roy, 1991) (pdf) (1.93 MB, 1991)
• Organochloride and Heavy Metal Contaminant Investigation San Juan River Basin, New Mexico (O’Brien, 1987 (pdf) (2.74 MB, 1987)