Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Arkansas River Basin Facts <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br /> <br />'II <br />Walden <br /> <br />'II Sterling <br /> <br />'II Greeley <br /> <br />Meek:r <br /> <br />'II Glenwood <br />Grand Sprin <br />Jl.Vlction <br /> <br />'II Denver <br /> <br />Gunni~hn <br /> <br /> <br />Burlingtor <br /> <br />Y Pueblo <br />Y La Junta <br /> <br />AlamOja <br />'II Durango <br /> <br />Overview <br /> <br />The Arkansas River begins in the <br />central mountains near Leadville and <br />flows south and east to IZansas. <br />Approximately one-quarter of the <br />state is drained by the Arkansas River. <br />Principal tributaries include Fountain, <br />Timpas and Grape Creeks; and St. <br />Charles, Huerfano, Apishapa, and <br />Purga toire Rivers. <br /> <br />Irrigation is the major water use in the <br />basin, with about 2.0 million acre-feet <br />diverted for irrigation in 1998 out of <br />total diversions of 3.7 million acre- <br />feet. There is substantial reliance on <br />groundwater in the basin for irrigation <br />uses. Recreational use is an economic <br />mainstay in the headwater region, with <br />some of the best fishing and river <br />rafting in the nation. <br /> <br />March 2002 <br /> <br /> <br />Fountain Creek <br /> <br />Growth <br /> <br />Water Conservancy <br />Di stricts <br /> <br /> <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br /> <br />Greg Walcher <br />DNR Executive Director <br /> <br />Rod Kuharich <br />CWCB Director <br /> <br />Harold Miskel <br />CWCB Member, <br />Arkansas River Basin <br /> <br />The basin is comprised of all or part of <br />19 counties. Between 1990 and 2000, the <br />population in this region increased by <br />27 percent and now accounts for <br />19.5 percent of the total state population. <br />The graph below outlines populations for <br />the portions of the counties that are in <br />the basin. A recent study by the South- <br />eastern Colorado Water Conservancy <br />District suggests that 173,000 acre-feet of <br />additional storage will be needed to <br />support growth in the basin through <br />2040. <br /> <br />Arkansas River <br />North La Junta <br />Purgatoire River <br />Southeastern Colorado <br />Upper Arkansas <br /> <br />600 <br /> <br />Arkansas River Basin Population by County <br /> <br />500 <br /> <br />Total Basin Population <br />APril 1 ~~u t)t);l,4UU <br />July 2000 838,100 <br /> <br />1998 (AF) <br />2,032,962 <br />1,346,924 <br />172,850 <br />146,272 <br />2,053 <br />128 <br />483 <br />17 <br />26,292 <br />2,892 <br />2,638 <br /> <br />a;- <br />c.. <br />g 400 <br />c. <br />o <br />o <br />o <br />~ 300 <br />c: <br />o <br /> <br />~ 200 <br />c. <br />o <br />a. <br /> <br />Percent Growth = 27% <br /> <br />Surface Water Diversions in Acre-feet by Use <br /> <br /> <br />D Irrigation <br />. Storage <br />D Municipal <br />D Industrial <br />. Commercial <br />D Domestic <br />iii Stock <br />D Recreation <br />.Fish <br />ID Augmentation <br />D Recharge <br /> <br /> <br />1997 (AF) <br />1,935,335 <br />1 , 147,941 <br />145,977 <br />145,526 <br />251 <br />175 <br />643 <br />17 <br />21,891 <br />18,374 <br />2128 <br /> <br />01990 .2000 <br /> <br />100 <br /> <br /> <br />~ ~ 0 ~ ~ ~ 0 ~ 0 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ <br />##~#?##/J~#&~#/#~~~ <br />(;'<::' (;,0 CJ <<.,0 ~0 0- ~ <t, ~ ~0 v <br />~ 'v~~ CJ <br />Source: Colorado Department of Local Affairs <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />Total 3,733,511 3,418,258 <br /> <br />Source: Colorado Division of Water Resources, Division 2 Annual <br />Reports <br /> <br />Additional information about this river basin is <br />available at http:j jcwcb.state.co.us <br />