Hydrology of Area 61, Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain Coal Provinces, Colorado and New Mexico

• Description: Hydrology of Area 61, Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain Coal Provinces, Colorado and New Mexico
• State: CO
• State: NM
• Author: Abbott, P. O.; Geldon, Arthur; Cain, Doug; Hall, Alan; Edelmann, Patrick
• Title: Hydrology of Area 61, Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain Coal Provinces, Colorado and New Mexico
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

3.0 WATER USE -- Continued
3.2 Surface -Water Storage
Trinidad Lake Is the Only Federal Storage
Facility in the Area
Reservoirs in the area are used for flood control and storage of surface water
for agricultural, municipal, industrial, and recreational uses.
Due to seasonal variation of runoff of streams in
the area, storage of water in ponds, lakes, and
reservoirs is necessary to assure a more effective use
of water. Surface -water storage is of concern to
those engaged in coal mining because of water - supply
needs and because any potential increase in sediment
yield due to mining could have an adverse impact on
the sedimentation rate in downstream reservoirs.
Trinidad Lake (fig. 3.2 -1) is the only Federal
storage facility in Area 61. A U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers project on the Purgatoire River just up-
stream from Trinidad, Colo., constructed the reser-
voir that is used primarily for flood - control protec-
tion for that city. Conservation and recreation stor-
age space also is allocated.
-Initial space allocation in Trinidad Lake is:
Flood control, 51,000 acre -feet; irrigation, 20,000
acre -feet; joint use, 39,000 acre -feet; and recreation,
4,500 acre -feet. Under initial conditions, the recrea-
tion pool has a surface area of 213 acres; the conser-
vation pool has a surface area of 1,382 acres. The
joint -use pool is that reservoir capacity reserved for
sediment accumulation. Until filled with sediment,
the joint -use pool will be used for conservation
storage and flood control. The conservation pool
regulates an irrigation supply for 19,717 acres of land
in the Purgatoire Irrigation District downstream
from the city of Trinidad.
Lakes and reservoirs in Area 61 having a surface
area greater than 40 acres are listed in table 3.2 -1 and
are shown in figure 3.2 -2. Most of the lakes and
reservoirs are in the eastern part of the area.
Photograph, by Alan P. Hall
Figure 3.2 -1 Trinidad Reservoir on the Purgatoire River near Trinidad, Colorado.
Trinidad Dam on left, Fisher Peak and Raton Mesa in background.
Reservoir stage almost at minimum pool level.
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