Laserfiche WebLink
<br />10 <br /> <br />THE ARKA~SAS RIVEItFL(fOD OF JUNE 3-51021 <br />., . <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />Of the 28,000 square miles drained by Arkansas River in Colorado <br />the upper 3,840 square miles is mountain:ous, .with extremely rugg~d <br />topography. Within this upper area there are many perennial tribu- <br />taries, but east of the mountains the tributaries are r~latively small <br />except in time of spring high water from melting snow. or, after <br />hea vy rains. <br />The area covered by the rainfall of June 2-5, 1!>21, lies chiefly be- . <br />tween Canon City and Pueblo. It is bounded on the north by the <br />foothills of the Pikes Peak uplift and on the south by the Wet :Moun- <br />tains and their extension, Greenhorn Mountain. The following de- <br />sJription of the topography is quoted from Gilbert: ~ <br />, <br />Ifwenty miles south of Colorado Springs the line of f~othl11s turns sharply <br />westward for 20 miles and theil, Ileal' Canon City, swings quickly to the south <br />anll southeast, hollllllg the latt..r course for 40 miles. Within this flexure is Il <br />triangular tongue of the plains country half SUrrOl1l1111'11 hy mOllntain ranges. <br />For half its cour.;e between Cnnon City am! I'u..!>I" the Arkam<as I.. c1osel)' "- <br />hemmed in by rock bluffs 200 feet high. with cliffs of lime.;tolle nt the top. Else- <br />where its'immediate valley is more open, usually with II. sharp ascent on ,one <br />side to a gravelly mesa and a long, gradual slope on the other. Farther back <br />the ascent"is broken by terruces of grayel or sand or hy tracts of clay~y had- <br />lands nlld here and there by rocky cliffs and mesas. . . <br /> <br />Within this area there are many tributaries that rise in the moun- <br />tains that bound the drainage basin. . The tributaries fromthe north <br />are Oil, Sixmile, Eightmile, Brush ,Hollow, Beaver, Turkey, and <br />Dry creeks, and those from the south are Chandler, Oak, Coal, Hard- <br />scrabble, Red, Rush, Pecks, and Rock creeks... . . . . . .' <br />Between the steep slopes of the vVet Mountains and the river a <br />broad area known generally as Boggs Flat slopes toward the river. <br />Across this area the tributary streams heading in the mountains have <br />cut well-defined channels. In addition to these streams a number <br />of arroyos or dry channels, of which Ritchie Gulch; Osteen and <br />Cameron arroyos, Boggs and Blue Ribbon creeks are. the chief, rise <br />in the upland area and carry water during the heavy rains to which <br />this area is subjl!ct. <br />The following table was compiled chiefly from topographic maps: <br /> <br />. Glihert. n, K.. l'nderjITOlllld wnter or the Arkan.n. Valley In en.tern Colorado: U.' S. <br />Gee!. Survey Seventeenth Ann. Rept., pt. 2, p. r.r.R, 1 RllG. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />~ . <br />