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WAR DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF' THE CHIEF' OF ENGINEERS WASHINGTON DRAFT CE SPEWF Subject: Huerfario River, Coloradoo THE SECRETARY OF WARo l 10 I submit for transmission to Congress my report with ace pany- ing papers on preliminary examination and survey of "Huerfano Ri vey' 001- orado," authorized by the Flood Control Act approved June 22, 1936 [ 20 Huerfano River is formed by the connusnce of Huerfano Creek and South Huerfano River in southern Colorado and nowa 99 miles gfnerallY northeast to join the Arkansa, River '1,252 miles above the mouth 0 the latter co It nOW's through steep canyons in the headwaters section hence through a narrow alluvial valley into.s rugged canyon section fromjwhich it emerges into an alluvial valley about three-fourths of a mile widao The estimated channel capacities of Huerfano River vary from 5,OOOlcubic feet per second at the head of the narrow ,alluvial valley section 0 more than 50~OOO cubic feet per second near the mouth of the river., Th prin- cipel tributary is the Cuchare River which is 59 miles long and jo ns the Huertano River 33 miles above the mouth of the lattero The waters ed of the Huerfano River is 85 miles long, has a maximum width of 45 mil s and contains 1,860 square miles 0 In the upper alluvial valley, the n od plain contains 835 acres of land of which 85 ecres are cultivated y irri- gation and 750 acres are in pastureo In the lower valley, there a e 2,490 acres subject to nooding of which 160 acres are in cultivation an 2,3.30 acres are in pastureo The average annual precipitation varies fro 24079 inches in the headwater section of the Cuchara River to 11087 inch4s at Pueblo which is outside of the basin, 28 miles west of the mouth 01 the lluerfano Rivero The principal occupations of the 5,700 inhabitant of Huertano River Basin, exclusive of the Cuchara Dasin, are farming, mining and cattle and sheep raising 0 Tioga, Del Carbon, and Gardner, wit popu- lations of 300, :lOO, and 125, respectively, are the principal town~o HiglrKay and railway transportation facilities serve the are.ao i 30 Floods occur about once every six years in the headwaterJ sec- tion and once every two years in the lower section of the river 0 ~hey cause average annual damages to crops, farm land, irrigation WOrkSj high- wsys, and bridges, estimated st $7,620 of which $3,520 occur above the canyon section and $4,100 below 0 The maximum nood of record in t e low- er reaches of the river occurred in July, 1936, and produced a pe~ dis- charge of 26,600 cubic feet per second at the Underc11ff gage 23 m~les a- bove the moutho No improvement for flood control of Huerfano Ri ve~ has been authorized by Congress 0 Local interests have oonstructed sma~nood- protective works along the river and a number of small diversion for irrigation purpoaeso They desire improvements for flood control, ater conservation and bank stabilization, and suggest several plans for ~onSid- erationo They offer to assume obligations of local cooperation to he 11mi t of their financial ability 0 ' I I 40 The district engineer has investigated several plans of improve- ment for flood protection and water conservation in Huerfano Ri ver ~i The I I I I I I DRAFT TOI NOT FOR PUBLIC RElfASE II