Laserfiche WebLink
<br />O\JiJ178 <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br />acre-feet for flood storage just downstream of Las Animas. However, there are <br />numerous off-channel storage reservoirs filled by diversions from the main <br />river and Its tributaries. In the future, Pueblo Reservoir will be built <br />with a proposed flood capacity of 357,000 acre-feet just upstream of Pueblo, <br />Colorado. It will have a minimum storage pool of 30,000 acre-feet. <br /> <br />DES~!#PTION OF STUDY REACH ON ARKANSAS R!VER <br /> <br />The particular reach of the Arkansas River In Colorado which this report <br />is directly concerned with stretches from Its upper reaches near LeadvIlle in <br />Lake County to the Colorado Canal In Pueblo County, approximately 19.5 mIles <br />downstream from Pueblo. This reach Is 175 miles long and has a dr'alnage area <br />of 7200 square miles. It has a number of different envlronments.-- from <br />alpine to semi-desert conditions. It has major topographic extremes -- from <br />dramatic jagged mountains to flat prairie. <br /> <br />Cl imatically It is also extreme. Rainfall In the mountain Valleys and <br />plains is very small on an annual basis, but the rainfall that does occur is <br />usu~lly in very intense bursts so that flooding is a problem for the basin. <br />Annual temperatures have a wide range for different locations within the <br />basin. There Is a difference of 340F in mean annual temperature between <br />Pikes Peak and Pueblo -- this Is as great as the difference between Florida <br />and Iceland. <br /> <br />The study reach has been divided Into three separate sections -- two <br />in the mountainous portion and one in the plains portion, and will be described <br />in detail below. The distinction between the two mountalnoussectlons was made <br />by considering the amount of agriculture along the main stem of the river, the <br />type of terrain and character of the channel cross-sections, and the mountain <br />ranges that control the character of each. The starting of the plains section <br />at Canon City Is evident since there Is a complete change In all characteris- <br />tics of the river at that point. <br /> <br />UPPER REACHES TO SALIDA (11,000+ feet to 7100 feet) <br /> <br />The Arkansas RIver has Its source In a basin of the Mosquito Range In <br />Lake County formed by Mt. Arkansas, Mt. Buckskin, and Mt. Democrat, just two <br />miles from the source of the South Platte River. It Is unlIke most of the <br />other large rivers arisIng In Colorado In that It doesn't pass through any <br />large parks. For example, the South Platte, North Platte, Colorado, and <br />RIo Grande pass through South Park, North Park, Middle Park, and the San Luis <br />Valley, respectIvely. From its source to Sal Ida (70 miles), the Arkansas <br />River is confined In a fairly narrow valley between the SawAtch Range on the <br />west and the Park Range on the east. <br /> <br />Situated near Le~dville and Granite are three storage reservoirs which are <br />of particular Interest. Table 11-2 lists their approximate storage capacities <br />as they were In the past, at present, and as projected into the future. These <br />three reservoirs store water at times when water Is plentiful and release <br />water durIng the summer months when Irrigation and Industrial demand Is <br />critical. These reservoirs will be Important In the future when water from <br />