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New WQX 3.0 profiles are available at waterqualitydata.us/beta/. These profiles will contain recent USGS data added since March 11, 2024, which marks the beginning of limited accessibility for USGS data. Read more about the 3.0 profiles and associated changes here. This user interface only serves WQX2.2 profiles, which do NOT contain USGS data added after March 11, 2024.

WQP Home >  Providers >  STORET >  11NPSWRD_WQX >  11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_BML15

WEST ELK ARM: MIDDLE (11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_BML15) site data in the Water Quality Portal

Data Provider: STORET (Learn more about Water Quality Portal Data Providers)

This reservoir site, maintained by the National Park Service Water Resources Division (identifier 11NPSWRD_WQX), has the name "WEST ELK ARM: MIDDLE" and has the identifier 11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_BML15. This site is in the watershed defined by the 8 digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC)14020002.

This site is located in Gunnison County County, Colorado at 38.4946389000 degrees latitude and -107.2794444000 degrees longitude using the datum NAD27. No horizontal location accuracy metadata is available.

To download the metadata about this site along with water quality data, go to the Portal Page and enter "11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_BML15" into the "Site ID" box under Site Parameters

What other monitoring locations are upstream or downstream from this one?

Upstream and downstream locations

This map shows all Water Quality Portal stations that are 10 miles upstream (dashed dark blue) and 10 miles downstream (solid light blue) of this monitoring location (indicated by the large blue circle). The upstream and downstream functionality is provided by the Network Linked Data Index.

Leaflet USGS The National Map: National Boundaries Dataset, 3DEP Elevation Program, Geographic Names Information System, National Hydrography Dataset, National Land Cover Database, National Structures Dataset, and National Transportation Dataset; USGS Global Ecosystems; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line data; USFS Road data; Natural Earth Data; U.S. Department of State HIU; NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Data refreshed October 3, 2025.

When were data collected at this location?

Periods of record for data characteristic groups

For a more detailed breakdown of data, go to the Monitoring Report at the EPA How's My Waterway Application
Characteristic Group Date Range*
Biological, Algae, Phytoplankton 1983 - 1985
Biological, Photosynthetic Pigments 1983 - 1985
Information 1983 - 1985
Nutrient 1984 - 1984
Physical 1981 - 1985
*Date ranges may contain gap years

What other information is available for this location?

Detailed Metadata

For the definitions of the metadata elements, please go to the Water Quality Portal user guide

Location Metadata Value
OrganizationIdentifier 11NPSWRD_WQX
OrganizationFormalName National Park Service Water Resources Division
MonitoringLocationIdentifier 11NPSWRD_WQX-CURE_BML15
MonitoringLocationName WEST ELK ARM: MIDDLE
MonitoringLocationTypeName Reservoir
MonitoringLocationDescriptionText The station is located on the Sapinero COGunnison Co. 7.5 minute (topographic) quadrangle. The site is near the middle of the West Elk Arm of the Sapinero Basin on the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Data are from an M.A. thesis by Don R. Hickman (1987): "Water Quality Trends at Blue Mesa Reservoir; Gunnison; Colorado: A baseline water quality survey conducted by the National Park Service; 19821985." The Blue Mesa Lake data are all in the Curecanti National Recreation Area. For more information contact the Chief of Natural Resources at Curecanti National Recreation Area; 102 Elk Creek; Gunnison CO 81230 (tel. 9706412337). The data were processed and uploaded to STORET by Curtis Cooper; National Park Service Water Resources Division; 1201 Oak Ridge Drive Suite 250; Fort Collins CO 80525 (tel. 9702253516; fax. 9702259965).*** Legacy STORET Station Type: /RESERV/TYPA/AMBNT
HUCEightDigitCode 14020002
LatitudeMeasure 38.4946389000
LongitudeMeasure -107.2794444000
SourceMapScaleNumeric 0
HorizontalCollectionMethodName Unknown
HorizontalCoordinateReferenceSystemDatumName NAD27
CountryCode US
StateCode 08
CountyCode 051
ProviderName STORET