WSP10064

• File Number: 8112.600
• Description: Arkansas White Red Basins Interagency Committee - AWRBIAC -- Reports
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 4/1/1977
• Title: Technical Memorandum -- Activity 3 Phase II -- Specific Problem Analysis - 1975 National Assessment -- Arkansas-White-Red Region Part 1 of 2
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Years of Annual Discharge - H.G..D.
Stream Record Maximum Hinimum Ave,age
Arkansas River 73 875.0 176.8 459.6
Fountain Creek 28 130.0 2.9 32.0

The area has a history of flood-producing storms occurring over
the Arkansas River watershed below Canon City and over Fountain Creek
watershed. Subject to flooding from the Arkansss River and tribu-
taries are the municipalities of Sslida, Cotopaxi, Canon City,
Florence, Portland and Pueblo. Urban areas of Colorado Springs,
Fountain, Security and Pueblo are subject to flooding. The floods
damage roads, bridges, and inundate farmlands along both.streams.

Transmountain imports of water into the Arkansas River Basin
average 90.2 H.G.D. per year for the period 1968-1970. The imports
for the municipal use of Colorado Springs and Pueblo were 45.5 H.G.D.
and 6.7 H.G.D., respectively, and for irrigation uses below Pueblo,
38.0 H.G.D. The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project under construction by
the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation will, when completed, develop annually
an average of 50.8 H.G.D. of imported water, and 21.0 H.G.D. of
flood flows in the Arkansas River Basin above Pueblo. These proj-
ect waters will be distributed as follows:

Colorado Springs SMSA - M&I Uses
Pueblo SMSA - M&I Uses
Municipalities West of Pueblo
Municipalities East of Pueblo
Irrigation - Below Pueblo

17.9 H.G.D.
7.2 H.G.D.
2.9 H.G.D.
8.6.H.G.D.
35.2 H.G.D..

Problem Issues:

Water Quantity. During a normal year of streamflow and,
imports of water, -theSHSA's Colorado Springs and Pueblo have just
enough water to satisfy their 1975 domestic requirements of 105.7
M.~.D. However,'during a series of drought and low surface runoff
years, the shortages are on the order of 25.0 H.G.D. for the SHSA's.

It is projected that the total annual domestic requirements
for the Colorado Springs and Pueblo SMSA'a by year 2000 will be
157.5 M.G.D., an increase of 51.8 H.G.D. over the 1975 requirements.
When completed, the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project will provide the
SMSA's an average of 25.1 M.G.D. annually, leaving an arlnual
shortage of approximately 26.7 M.G.D. During drought years, 'the
water supply shortage could be on the order of 50.0 M.G.D. The
annual water requirements for the municipalities in the Arkansas
River Basin above Pueblo are 9.0 M.G.D. Their present withdrawals
are approximately 7.2 M.G.D. annually. Their allocation of 2.9
H.G.D. of Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water. should meet present
shortages and future increases in demand by year 2000.

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