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<br />COMMUNITY MEMBERS TOUR THE ARKANSAS
<br />RIVER BELOW PUEBLO RESERVOIR TO THE
<br />KANSAS BORDER
<br />
<br />This YC.lf the Southeastern
<br />Colorado Water Conservancy
<br />District sponsofr..'tl a tour of the
<br />lower Arkansas Valley. August 8.
<br />9.2001.
<br />Bessemer headgatc on lor of
<br />Pueblo Dam was the first SlOp.
<br />Below Pueblo Dam we viSited the
<br />Board of Waler Works of Pueblo
<br />pipeline project, estimated
<br />completion date of March 2002.
<br />The last stop while at Pueblo
<br />Reservoir was the Fish Hatchery.
<br />A total of 12 species of lish arc
<br />slockL'ti fur distribution statewide.
<br />they consi:'>t of: warm water -
<br />Channel Catfish. Blue Catfish.
<br />Black Crappie. Snmllmouth Bass.
<br />Grass Carp. and Wipers; cool
<br />waler - Tiger Muskic. Walleye,
<br />Sockeye:. Striped Bass: cold
<br />waler - Rainbow and Brown
<br />Trout The hatchery. which is in
<br />production year round, n:cdvcs its
<br />"'"aler from Pueblo Reservoir and.
<br />shallow wells.
<br />The caravan was then 00' to the
<br />cllnlluenec of the Arkansas River
<br />and Fountain Creck. The District
<br />servIces mne counties within
<br />southeastcm Colorado and EI Paso
<br />County is onc of them. The wlItl'r
<br />for EI Paso County is diverted
<br />
<br />from Pucblo Rcservoir through a
<br />pipl'line. knm.iO as the Fountain
<br />Valley Pipdine. The Fountain
<br />Creek is return 110\\/ from this
<br />pipl'lint:: ,tnd Ihis lime of year the
<br />watcr levl'l is rather low.
<br />The Excelsior headgale and dilch
<br />was thc first of lTlany canal stops.
<br />As the tour continued it was
<br />evidem that sand collection is a
<br />major prohlem at each headgate
<br />(see lower right photo).
<br />As the group headed for Carl
<br />Genova's faml we stoppt.x1 at the
<br />solar poweredlr.tdio accessihle
<br />USGS's gauging station on the SI.
<br />Charles River. While on Carl's
<br />faml we were ahle to see his
<br />impeccable weed free crops. and
<br />the tour participants took a shol at
<br />operating the siphon luhes.
<br />Mack O'Neil with Arkansas
<br />Valley Produce gave our group an
<br />impromptu tuur of his onion
<br />factory. Along the way we stopped
<br />to walch a camaloufll: crop bl'ing
<br />han.'l'Stcd and were shown the
<br />proper way to pick cantaloupe.
<br />We also drove by land that was
<br />revegelaled under the Rocky Ford
<br />Ditch, by the City of Aurora.
<br />The canal companies we visited
<br />were: Excelsior, Colorado Canal,
<br />
<br />
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<br />)caIleU", Ilryoin. [),,:n,d <0,,,,,1\110, f)Kk lIal!l.,;k, June' Ra"hllg.~, ()nlll", Tumky. Juhn R,~, Jea" VailI'd..
<br />rom 1'''1111''". [lan Iknn<-hs. Ri,'k KI~tIl. ",,"I'TII'" Ge'hri~, r"m MlIs~ru~",. SI""", Ar"C'Sl:hnuSo Charlll:
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<br />n"',lu....nmplll..u"l1cno;kdti""J:lyor'h"'lnut)
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<br />A view of the Bessemer Oiteh fromlhe
<br />lOp of Pueblo Oam.
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<br />UI]] Mltl'll...ki (righl) c:\plains harvesling
<br />cantaloupe to the group. (lell 10 right)
<br />On..ille Tomky. Steve Ap.C!oil'houg and
<br />I'hillpSaletta.
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<br />Sand Dam atlligh Linc Can:.l
<br />
<br />lligh Linc Canal. Oxford Canal.
<br />Olcro Dih:h. Callin Canal. Rocky
<br />Ford Ditch. Ilolbrook Canal. FOri
<br />Lyon Slorage. Fort Lyon Canal.
<br />Kessee. Fort Benl. Amity, and
<br />Frontier. The reservoirs/lakes \\'c
<br />visiled were: Pueblo Rcscrvoir.
<br />Lake Meredith. Lake Ilcnry.
<br />Ilolbrook Lake. John Marlin
<br />Resen.'oir and Great Plams
<br />Reservoir.
<br />
<br />(('omim/t',I 011 PUKl' 5. ,\('l' TOl'H)
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