PUB00118

• Year: 2000
• Title: Arkansas River Water Needs Assessment
• CWCB Section: Interstate & Federal
• Author: Smith and Hill
• Description: Information and findings associated with the Arkansas River Water Needs Assessment study
• Publications - Doc Type: Historical

Arkansas River Water Needs Assessment - Section 1. Executive Summary

Two types of hydro graphs are presented:

Figure 1-3 illustrates baseline Arkansas River
flows on a year-round basis, incorporating
Ftyingpan-Arkansas Project operations. This is
the same hydro graph that was presented earlier
in this section.

Hydrographs are also presented for the annual
period between July 24 and September 7,
which has been idenrified by river managers as
a period of conflict between competing natural
resource values. The additional detail provided
in these hydro graphs illustrates the difference
between typical flows and resource values on a

daily basis. Because this period is so critical,
hydrographs have been developed for average,
wet, and dty years (Figures 1-4 through 1-6).
The average hydrograph incorporates all flows
from the 1982 through 1994 period. Flows
from 1995 were excluded from the average
hydrograph because it was one of the wettest
water years on record in the basin. The wet
year hydro graph incorporates flows during the
wet years of 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1995.
The dry year hydro graph incorporates the dry
years of 1988, 1991, 1992, and 1994.

These hydrographs are overlaid with the preferred
flows for various resource values to illustrate how

FIGURE 1-3

Arkansas River Baseline Hydrograph with Flow Preferences
(Flows at Wellsville Gage 1982.1994)
Mean Daily Flow: October I-September 31

------------------------------------

3,000

2,500

. . .. Rafting Preference
. . . .. Kayaking Preference
Floatfishi ng Preference
----- Spin Fishing Preference
Adult Fish Preference
- - Fly Fishing Preference
- - . . Juvenile Fish Preference

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Note: Flow preferences that are shown are the median flow in the optimum flow range.

Note: Water released from upper basin reservoirs as part of the flow augmentation program
between July 1 and August 15 has been subtracted from this hydrograph. Water
released during other parts of the year as part of the annual flow management
program has not been subtracted from this hydrograph because those releases
are not accounted for separately from other water deliveries.

Water Needed to Protect or Promote Critical Resource Values - 1-13