WSP08574

• File Number: 8141.100
• Description: Fryingpan-Arkansas Project - Project Description
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Date: 1/1/1969
• Author: US DoI BoR
• Title: Flood Control Fryingpan-Arkansas Project Eastern Slope Features
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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79. Floods also disrupt the irrigation water supply to lands lying
outside the flood plain when diversion works are damaged, or when main
canals are breached by overbank flow. Since about 90 percent of the
land 'irrigated from the Arkansas River between Pueblo and John,Martin
Dam lies outside the,flood plain, the adverse effect of floods is thus
extended to thousands of acres of,productive land that are not otherwise
flood problem areas. Reduction of crop yields due to disruption of the
water supply is a function of the length of time diversion facilities
are out of operation, crop patterns, and other variables. The degree
of damage suffered varies from a minor reduction in yield to ,complete
crop failure in extreme cases, Although the condition is mitigated to
a degree by irrigation wells ,on many farms, the composite problem and
potential loss is significant.

80. Fortunately,,,mos't,urhan development along the river between
Pueblo and John Martin Reservoir has generally been on higher ground.
A part of North La Junta'including municipal water supply facilities
and the city .of La Junta are ,.subject to damage as discussed in para-
graph .74. Las Animas is the most vulnerable of the urban developments
since it is threatened by even minor floods, and a repetition of a flood
of the magnitude of the 1921 flood would cause a major disaster. The
serious flood problem at Las Animas will be solved by the construction
of the local flood pro,tec.tiDn project authorized by the 1965 Flood Con-
trol Act and the Pueblo Dam.

81. FLOOD DAMAGES.- As reported by Follansbee and Jones in Water-
Supply Paper No. 487, 1922, the Arkansas River flood or 3-5 June 1921
caused about $20millionc.damage (1921 prices and development), Flood
losses were suffered from the town of Florence, about 30 miles upstream
from Pueblo, downstream to,:,.the vicinity of the Colorado-Kansas State
line. The city'of Pueblo sustained about 50 percent of reported damages
including complete loss of ' more than 500 residences, the wrecking of
about 100 buildings, and more than 60 buildings washed off foundations.
Over 57,000 acres of land "lownstream from Pueblo were flooded. Seventy-
eight bodies were recovered'in a short period after the flood, but many
were swept downstream to be buried in debris and silt and were never
found.

82. The most general and severe flooding since the 1921 flood
occurred in May 1955 and June 1965. The latter flood had the greater
volume of the two, but peaks at La Junta and Las Animas were not as
great as in 1955. Estimated losses from the two floods are tabulated
in table 10.

83. Approximately 39,000 acres of land were inundated in May 1955
between Pueblo and John Martin Dam. Of the total, about 8,000 acres
were cultivated, 22,000 were in pasture and the remaining 9,000 acres
were river channel and wasteland. Urban lands flooded consisted of
about 250 acres at La Junta and a few acres in Las Animas. Monetary
losses totaled about $2 million, and the loss of two lives was ascribed
to the flood.

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