S3_11-15-04

• Basin: Statewide
• Title: SWSI Phase 1 Report - Section 3 Physical Environment of the Major River Basins
• Date: 11/15/2004
• Author: CWCB
• SWSI - Doc Type: Final Report

Section 3
Physical Environment of the Major River Basins
Table 3-1 Land Cover Data forthe Arkansas Basin To monltor streamflow, numerous USGS streamflow
. ; ; gages are maintained in the Arkansas Basin. Five of
~~. 4, ~$ p , ~~ a these gages were selected to summarize historic flows in
Grassland 19,043 67.4% 41,051 39.5% the basin across a broad spatial scale. The locations of
Forest 3,654 12.9% 29,577 28.4% these gages are shown in Figure 3-5. Table 3-2
Planted/ 2,621 9.3% 13,737 13.2% summarizes the mean annual streamflow, period of
Cultivated
Shrubland
2
421
8
6%
16
883 record, and drainage area for each gage. As indicated by
16
2%
Developed ,
219 .
0.8% ,
923 .
0.9% the table, mean annual flows are highest in the upstream
Barren 213 0.8% 1,219 1.2% reaches of the Arkansas River near Canon City. Major
Open Water 84 0.3% 590 0.6% surface water diversions and segments with decreed
Wetland 13 0.04% 80 0.08% instream flow rights are also indicated in Figure 3-5.
TOTAL 28,268 104,060
Source: USGS 1992 NLCD ~,~,7 Arkansas Basin Groundwater
3.2.5 Arkansas Basin Surface Geology
Geology ranging from Precambrian to Quaternary age is
exposed in the Arkansas Basin. In the mountain
province, Precambrian metamorphic schists and
gneisses intruded by igneous rocks abound. The plains
province is dominated by multiple layers of sedimentary
rocks, and Quaternary alluvium fills the reaches along
the lower Arkansas River.
3.2.6 Arkansas Basin Surface Water
The perennial streams comprising the headwaters of the
Arkansas River are supplied by the snowpack of the
mountains surrounding the area of Leadville, Colorado
(Abbott 1985). The Arkansas River flows out of the
mountains, through the deep canyons near Canon City,
and across the plains until it leaves the state and enters
Kansas just east of Holly, Colorado. Along its journey to
Kansas, several major tributaries enter the river. A map
of the basin showing the Arkansas River and its major
tributaries is provided in Figure 3-2.
Groundwater in the Arkansas Basin is located within the
following aquifers:
^ Alluvial Aquifer
^ Denver Basin
^ High Plains
^ Raton Basin
^ Dakota-Cheyenne
^ Wet Mountain Valley and Huerfano
Figure 3-6 shows the outline of the aquifers broken down
into three groups: alluvial, bedrock (Raton Basin and
Dakota-Cheyenne), and Designated Basin (High Plains).
Also shown in the figure is the location of wells in the
Arkansas Basin with a permitted or decreed yield of
500 gallons per minute (gpm) or higher. Information from
the 2003 Colorado Ground Water Atlas was used as the
basis for this section (CGS 2003).
Arkansas at Canon Ciiy 07096000 534,289
Fountain Creek at Pueblo 07106500 73,304
Arkansas at Las Animas 07124000 157,836
Purgatoire near Las Animas 07128500 67,633
Arkansas at Lamar 07133000 135,856
Source: USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) web/HydroBase database
J~~~
$~olevi~ice Wo~e' $upplY Initia~ive
738 1890-2002 3,117
101 1922-2002 926
218 1939-2002 13,976
93 1922-2002 3,306
188 1913-2002 18,830
~~
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