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<br /> <br />("1""1 <br />uo{..' <br /> <br />Reach 1 <br /> <br />Reach I extended 60.6 mi from site QI <br />(Purgatoire River below Trinidad Reservoir) to <br />site Q2 (Purgatoire River near Thatcher) (fig. I). <br />Review of hourly streamflow data for sites QI and <br />Q2 did not result in any suitable streamflow events <br />to estimate traveltimes for reach I. The reasons for <br />this lack of suitable streamflow largely are due to <br />the substantial effects of diversions to canals and <br />unmeasured return flows in this irrigated study <br />reach. The irrigation canals can return unmeasured <br />quantities of water back to the river a short distance <br />downstream from the diversion structure; parts of <br />these return flows, as well as unmeasured return <br />flows from the irrigated areas, then are diverted by <br />the next downstream irrigation canal. Therefore, a <br />qualitative and quantitative comparison of streamflow <br />hydrographs at sites QI and Q2 did not result in an <br />estimate of traveltime for reach 1. <br />Because the hourly data could not be used <br />successfully in estimating traveltimes in reach I, daily <br />mean streamflow data collected between January 1957 <br />and December 1967 were analyzed to see if travel- <br />times could be estimated from additional streamflow <br />data available at mainstem sites QIA, QIB, and <br />Q I C and at tributary sites Tl and T2 (fig. I). <br />However, the results were similar to those for the <br />hourly data analysis, in that suitable streamflow <br />events at site QIA could not be distinguished at <br />the two downstream stations (sites QIB and QIC). <br />Therefore, traveltime could not be estimated for <br />reach 1. <br /> <br />Reach 2 <br /> <br />Reach 2 extended 40.1 mi from site Q2 <br />(Purgatoire River near Thatcher) to site Q3 <br />(Purgatoire River at Rock Crossing near Timpas) <br />(fig. I). Analysis of hourly streamflow records <br />compiled between 1990 and 1994 resulted in selection <br />of 31 suitable streamflow events to estimate travel- <br />time. For reach 2, the relation of traveltime to the <br />instantaneous peak streamflow at site Q2 is shown in <br />figure 7A. Traveltime in reach 2 generally increased <br />as the streamflow in the reach decreased, but travel- <br />time also varied for a specific streamflow (fig. 7). <br />Traveltime variation for reach 2 might have occurred <br />because of different antecedent river conditions that <br /> <br />existed prior to each streamflow event. The travel- <br />times computed for reach 2 ranged from about II to <br />about 47 hours, with 23 of the 31 instantaneous <br />streamflow peaks within 12 hours of I day (fig. 7). <br />A regression analysis indicated that streamflow <br />and traveltime were significantly related (p=O.OOOI) <br />in reach 2, and about 70 percent of the variation that <br />was observed in the traveltimes could be explained <br />by streamflow. Streamflows greater than 100 ft3/s at <br />sites Q2 and Q3 were infrequent (fig. 6). Most of the <br />traveltime estimates made for reach 2 were computed <br />for instantaneous peak streamflows greater than <br />100 ft3/s. However, there were five streamflow events <br />selected with instantaneous peak flows less than <br />100 ft3/s, and their traveltimes through reach 2 ranged <br />from about 23 to about 47 hours (fig. 7). <br /> <br />Reach 3 <br /> <br />Reach 3 extended 58.5 mi from site Q3 <br />(Purgatoire River at Rock Crossing near Timpas) to <br />site Q4 (Purgatoire River near Las Animas) (fig. I). <br />Analysis of hourly streamflow records compiled <br />between 1990 and 1994 resulted in selection of <br />30 suitable streamflow events to estimate travel- <br />time. For reach 3, the relation of traveltime to the <br />instantaneous peak streamflow at site Q3 is shown in <br />figure 7B. Traveltime in reach 3 generally increased <br />as streamflow in the reach decreased, but traveltime <br />also varied for a specific streamflow (fig. 7). Travel- <br />time variation for reach 3 might have occurred <br />because of different antecedent river conditions that <br />existed prior to each streamflow event. The trawl- <br />times computed for reach 3 ranged from about 6 to <br />about 61 hours, with 22 of the 30 instantaneous <br />streamflow peaks within 12 hours of I day (fig. 7). <br />A regression analysis indicated that streamflow and <br />traveltime were significantly related (p=0.0001) in <br />reach 3; however, only about 40 percent of the <br />variation that was observed in the traveltimes could <br />be explained by streamflow. Streamflows greater than <br />100 ft3/s at sites Q3 and Q4 were infrequent (fig. 6). <br />Most of the traveltime estimates made for reach 3 <br />were computed for instantaneous peak streamflows <br />greater than 100 ft3/s. However, there were five <br />streamflow events selected with instantaneous peak <br />flows less than 100 ft3/s, and their traveltimes through <br />reach 3 ranged from about 43 to about 56 hours <br />(fig. 7). <br /> <br />STREAMFLOW TRAVEL TIMES 15 <br />