WSP08618

• File Number: 8111.600
• Description: ARCA Annual Reports
• Basin: Arkansas
• Date: 12/14/1976
• Author: ARCA
• Title: Twenty-Eighth Annual Report Arkansas River Compact Administration for the Year 1976
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

River flow averaged approximately 28 cfs during the period of
Colorado demand.
On February 17. 1976 Colorado issued a demand for 12 cfs of river
flow at 9:00 a.m. This time the release was continued until 8:30 a.m.,
April 5. 1976 when demands were made by both Colorado and Kansas
for conservation water.
On the first day of tbe summer storage period - April I. 1976 total
conservation storage had reached 10,093 acre feet. However, no
demands were made on the conservation pool unlit April 5, 1976 when
conservation storage had increased slightly to 10,110 acre feet. At 8:30
a.m.. on April 5th both Colorado and Kansas demanded a release of
storage water totaling 1.000 cfs to be apportioned, 600 cfs to Colorado
and 400 cfs to Kansas. In cooperation with a U.S.G.S. sediment study.
incremental releases of 250 ers were made at one hour intervals.
Beginning at 8:30 a.m.. a release was made of 250 cfs. At 9:30 a.m.. the
release was increased to 500 cfs. At 10:30 a.m., the release was in-
creased to 750 cfs and at 11:30 a.m., the demanded release of 1,000 cfs
was obtained. The demand release of 1,000 cfs by Kansas and Colorado
was sustained until 6:00 p.m.. April 10, 1976 when the reservoir became
empty. The river was then administered according to the Colorado
priority system. During the release period, problems were encountered
in correlating the reservoir releases with Colorado ditch diversions and
down river gaging station records.
Sporadic storms during May, June, and July caused some damage
to canal structures in Water District 1/67. In early August. heavy rains
occurred in the Purgatoire and Arkansas Basins increasing river flows
sufficiently at John Martin Reservoir to justify summer storage. The
gates were closed on August 2nd at 7:30 p.m., and immediately a
storage release of 1.000 cfs was made to satisfy Colorado and Kansas
demands of 600 cfs and 400 cfs respectively. A peak storage of about
2,]00 acre feet was obtained. The reservoir was emptied by 9: 30 3.m.,
August 6. 1976. The gates were then left open and the river was ad-
ministered under the Colorado priority system for the remainder of the
water year. The winter storage period began at midnight, October 31,
1976 with the reservoir empty.

9. GAGING STATIONS

In general, streamflow records of satisfactory accuracy were ob-
tained at the compact stations. Emphasis was continued on performing'
additional field work, within travel constraints, 10 increase the ac-
curacy of the records and on providing current streamflow data to the
Administration and State officials, as required.
The gaging station below John Martin Reservoir and a concrete
control was built in April 1975. The cableway was relocated in
December 1976.
The control for the Purgatoire River near Las Animas continues to
be a problem but the expense of a permanent control is probably not
justified. The changing of the stage-dischaqie relationship by beavers
building brush dams just downstream from several of the gages con-
tinues to be a problem.
The radio stations at the four gages continue to give trouble because
of their age. Plans were initialed to replace the system with satellite-
transmitting stations but because the time of receiving the data at the
Lamar and Garden City offices was on the order of 12 hours instead of
hourly. this plan was dropped. Present plans are to replace the radios

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