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<br />82-
<br />
<br />FLOODS IN COLORADO
<br />
<br />total discharge of the main flood at that point, less than 90,000 acre-
<br />feet. Two views of the damage caused by this flood are shown on
<br />plate 2,
<br />After the flood of 1921 the State Legislature enacted the Con-
<br />servancy District law, which enabled various interests in the Arkans....
<br />Valley to organize the Pueblo Conservancy District. This district
<br />constructed a detention reservoir 10 miles above Pueblo, which was
<br />designed to reduce a discharge of 175,000 second-feet of normal dura-
<br />tion to. a discharge of 100,000 second-feet. Channel changes in
<br />Pueblo were designed to carry, without overflow, a flood discharge of
<br />125,000 second-feet and. thus to provide for a flood flow of 25,000
<br />second-feet originating below the reservoir.
<br />As floods on the Purgatoire River are necessarily a source of floods
<br />on the Arkansas River below the mouth of that tributary, the flood of
<br />1921 was not so greatly in excess of previous floods on that section of
<br />the river as the previous floods above the mouth of the Purgatoire
<br />River. In fact the peak discharge of the flood of 1908 on the Arkansas
<br />River at Holly was 136,000 second:feet, whereas the peak discharge
<br />in 1921 at Holly, when the Purgatoire River was not at flood stage, was
<br />only 120,000 second-feet.
<br />The following table shows the daily discharge at gaging stations on
<br />the lower part of the Arkansas River in Colorado during June 1921.
<br />
<br />Daily diacharge, in second-feet, of Ark.ansaa River, June 1-19, 19S1
<br />{Data from reports of State Engineer of Colorado}
<br />
<br /> Canon N.., L. lunla Lam" HoDy
<br /> City Pueblo (drainage (drainage (drainage
<br /> (drainage (drainage are. """ ....
<br />lun. .... .... 12,2(10 19,800 2.'1,000
<br /> ..... 4,730 8QU8nl SQuare square
<br /> square squa.r6 mileS) miles) miles)
<br /> miles) mil..)
<br />. 3,'30 2,381l ... 28 '"
<br />1.....________u..._n_____h__......._____
<br />,._ ......__..:___dU.U________._________. 3,000 .."'" 67Il " 28.
<br />8___...______.__________n________-"____hU 3,'30 20,700 95lI .. '"
<br />4.___.__...._._________...__....___________ 3,'30 134,600 161,100 ... "
<br />6. .___._nnO_._hO.________._________...._ 3,"" 19,200 ...... 187,300 44,800
<br />6___....._._____.._...._..__.__.__._____.._ 3,"" '0.800 25,UOO 33,200 469,500
<br />1________.....____.______._._____..__._____ 3,"" "660 22,UOO 26,00\1 36, UOO
<br />8_. ._____________....______________........ 3,130 ...so 16,000 23,400 '6,800
<br />9_____.._._____________.....__..____.___._. ~850 6,000 14,000 '6,"" 11,801)
<br />10_______._..__.____.______.__.____ ..--..-- 3,'" 5,140 11,600 13,000 ,o,UOO
<br />11..._______._____..__...________._.___.... 3, 730 ...'" 10,tlOO 1(}, 700 7,200
<br />12____.._._.._.____________...._.___.___.__ ~'20 5,'" '.660 .."" 7,"'"
<br />13____._.._.__.__._.________.___.._________ '."" 6,470 ..800 .,000 7,700
<br />14__._.___.__.__.....________________.._.._ 4,340 6,910 "'00 ...'" 7,220
<br />15___...__._._________._____......._.______ ',SOlI ..... 7,700 11,400 7,209
<br />16_________._....__________.________.___.__ 4,OSO .."'" 8,190 10, 700 8,700
<br />17 ___.u__._____________...__.._______.___. ~"" ..... ..... 10,100 8,59&
<br />18._.__.______.._._.__._____.___.__....___. ',020 5,280 7,210 '.000 .....
<br />19...____________.._...__._________________ 3,800 ',400 ..... ..... 7,"",
<br />
<br />I Peak discharge 103,000 second Ceat.
<br />, Peak discharge 200,(100 second.feet.
<br />
<br />I Peak dlsehlU'ge 186,000 second.Ceet.
<br />4 Peak discharge 120,000 5econd-leet.
<br />
<br />'T'".
<br />
<br />MAJOR FLOODS-ARKANSAS RIVER
<br />
<br />83
<br />
<br />1.29
<br />
<br />The flood on the Purgatoire River, August 7, 1929, had a peak
<br />discharge of 52,800 second-feet at the mouth and caused a peak dis-
<br />charge of 41;,300 second-feet on the Arkansas River at Lamar, The
<br />discharge from Purgatoire River w.... probably augmented by the
<br />rainfall that was general over the Arkansas Basin, The daily dis-
<br />charge of the Arkansas River above and below the mouth of the
<br />Purgatoire River August 5-10, is shown in the following table.
<br />
<br />Daily discharge, in second-jeet, of Arkansas Riper, Aug. 6-10, 19S9
<br />(From reports 01 Colorado State Engineer)
<br />
<br />Gaging station August
<br /> . . 7 ~ . "
<br />Lalunta_.....___._.___._.... ... ... 110,000 7,400 ..360 ~'20
<br />LaJnsr._ _____._________ _______ 1,770 \l82 .,... ' 24,800 6.800 "200
<br />
<br />I Peak dlscharg(l17,300 second.feet,
<br />I Peak discharge 46,300 second-feet.
<br />
<br />1....
<br />
<br />The effect on the discharge of the Arkansas River of a flood on the
<br />Purgatoire River, September 15, 1934, and of unrecorded floods on
<br />Apishapa and Timpas Creeks, is shown by the daily discharge of the
<br />Arkansas River at Nepesta, La Junta, and Lamar. Apishapa and
<br />Timpas Creeks enter the Arkansas River between Nepesta and La
<br />Junta, and the Purgatoire River enters it between La Junta and
<br />Lamar.
<br />
<br />Daily discharge, in second-feet, of Arkansas River, Sept. 13-18, 1934
<br />
<br /> September
<br />Station
<br />.-1 I' " 16 17 I'
<br />l:epesttL ____________.________ 103 .. .U .. .7 ..
<br />R JIUlta____hh_____________ HI I' 12,840 110 'J:/ 20
<br />Lamar______._...____.__.___._ 9 . 2,800 '9,600 14' 14
<br />
<br />1 Peak d!scharge 12,600 second.fect.
<br />I Peak dISCharge 34,700 second-reet.
<br />
<br />194,4,
<br />
<br />The flood of July 4, 1944, on Wilson Creek, a tributary of Oil
<br />Creek (see p. 84), caused a flood in the Arkansas River below the
<br />mouth of Oil Creek. At the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co.'s diversion
<br />dam, 3 miles west of Florence, the crest arrived at 12 ;45 a, m., July
<br />5, and lasted about 30 minutes. Its discharge was computed lIS about
<br />19,000 second-feet by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co.". As the flood
<br />CIa Statement of H. H. Ohrlsty, B8!1tstant chief englnoor.
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