Gore Creek Macroinvertebrate Scores 

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment sets standards for the number and diversity of aquatic insects that should be found in a healthy stream. Gore Creek has failed to meet those standards since 2009. Town of Vail and its partners are working hard to restore aquatic insect populations. Take a look at the chart below to track our progress.

Some insects, like midges and mosquitoes, can thrive in a polluted stream. Others, like mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies, are highly sensitive to pollution. The disappearance of those sensitive species is a concerning sign for scientists who track water quality in Gore Creek. The loss of these sensitive species impacts animals big and small further up the food chain. Trout, songbirds, and bats are some of the species that depend on healthy aquatic bug populations for food.

Gore Creek Streamflow 

Gore Creek High Water - June 2021 courtesy of Eagle Valley Wild

Gore Creek Low Flow- September 2021- courtesy of Eagle Valley Wild

Gore Creek is an incredibly dynamic waterway 

Snowmelt-fed streams like Gore Creek can see 60% of the volume of water that flows through them in a year pass by in a six-week period during spring runoff. Aquatic animals need to be resilient and specially adapted to thrive in a stream that can be a trickle in the winter and a torrent each spring.

To view the updated Stream Flow click here.