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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Indication of the great variation in the water available for
all usea in the Problem Area are the annual diacharge data recorded
at selected gages on the Arkanaaa River and at the mouth of the
principal tributary streams as presented below,

Years of Annual Discharge - M.G.D.
Stream Record Maximum Minimum Average
Arkansas River
Pueblo 73 875.0 176.8 459.6
Las Animas 27 912.5 11.9 268.1
State Line (Goolidge, Ks) 20 658.0 60.7 158.9
Tributaries
Fountain Creek 28 130.0 2.9 32.0
St. Charles River 12 106.8 7.0 19.6
Huerfano River 3 34.6 10.3 20.9
Apishapa River at Fowler 30 67.8 3.7 22.8
Purgatoire River 27 290.1 11.4 89.2

During most of the irrigation season, flows of the tributaries
are largely diverted to adjacent lands. The contributions they
make to the main stem are mainly undivertable return flows of the
tributaries. During the period 1968-70 an average of 38.0 H.G.D.
of transmountain water was imported into Problem Area 2 for irriga-
tion. The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project under construction by the
U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, when completed, will provide an addi-
tional 35.2 H.G.D. for irrigation and 8.6 M.G.D. for municipal
uses. The average annual withdrawal of surface water for irriga-
tion has been approximately 910.1 H.G.D. and 151.8 H.G.D. from
groundwater, or a total supply of 1061.9 M.G.D. for irrigation.

The Problem Area has a history of floods causing severe dam-
age to urban and rural areas. The municipalities of Lamar, La
Junta, Las Animas and other communities have been damaged by flood
flows. During flood and high flow periods, serious bank erosion
occurs along all streams. Overbank flow deposits sediments over
cropped fields, in irrigation diversion canals, and storage res-
ervoirs. Gully and sheet erosion damages occur on uplands during
intense storm events.

The quality of the water in the Arkansas River deteriorates
progressively downstream below Pueblo as a result of the leaching
of the soils from the use and reuse of the water for irrigation.
The average concentration of dissolved solids in the river at
Pueblo is about 365 ppm and 3600 ppm at the Colorado-Kansas State
line. The valley fills contain large amounta of water which is
recharged primarily from river flow and deep percolation of irriga-
tion water. The source of municipal water for the cities in the
area is obtained mostly from groundwater wells in the valley fill.

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