|
<br />49,600 c.f.s. About 800 persons were evacuated from the low-lying arCa
<br />of Kinsley ahead of the flood. Most of Kinsley south of the railroad
<br />wuinundated. Flood depths in Kinsley were about three feet in the
<br />heavily populated areas.
<br />43. Coon Creek added to the flood problem in Kinsley. ThisnrelUll
<br />meanders tllrougll tile soutlleastern portion of tile city. Large flows fr<>m
<br />the Arkansas River spread out Over the left bank and overflowed into the
<br />channel of Coon Creek.
<br />
<br />most of the rigllt bank tributaries and for the Canadian River from the
<br />head...aterstoConchasReservoir. From I a.m. on 17 June to midnight on
<br />18 June, Concllas Reservoir rOSe from elevation 4,i76.8 feet to 4,192.9
<br />feet, an increase of. 109,200 acre-feet. During the period from 2 p.m.
<br />to 8 p.m. on i8 June, the reservoir rose from elevation 4,184.0 feet to
<br />elevation4.191.5feet,anincroaseof54,390acre_feetwithanaverllge
<br />inflow of 108,800 c.f.s. during the six_hour period.
<br />49. The peak discharge of the flood at New Mexico State Highway
<br />120 bridge on the Canadian River was 172,000 c,f,s. The water ...as 10
<br />feet over the deck of thebr1dge and resched a stage of 34 feet. It
<br />was reported by residents of Sabinoso (near the mouth of the Cana dian
<br />Canyon) that the stage of the June 1965 flood was higher than that of
<br />the1904flood,thelargestpreviouslyknownflood.
<br />
<br />44. The flood peak decreased as the flow moved eastward across
<br />Ford and Edwards Counties,and damages sustained .by highways and railroads
<br />were iess severe tllan those incurred upstream. Agricultural damages,
<br />however, were comparable to those experienced in the counties to the west.
<br />
<br />,
<br />,
<br />
<br />45. Pawnee and Barton Counties experienced little or no urban flood.
<br />ing as both Larned and Great Bend waged successful flood fights. The
<br />levees were raised and strengthened at both cities and in some reaches
<br />lengthened. The flow maintained a high stage at Larned for about 24 hours.
<br />The Arkansas River peaked at i3.20 feet with a discharge of 33,000 c. f.s.
<br />at 10 a.m. on 23 June at Great Bend. The hydrograph of the Arkansas River
<br />.at Great Bend is sllownonplate IS. The stage w&s above dangerous l<!lvels
<br />there for about 36 hours. Crop losses in Pawnee and Barton Counties were
<br />minor. Inundation of farmlands, farmbuiidings,and fences was extensive
<br />in both of these counties.
<br />
<br />50. Runoff from tributary watersheds of the Canadian River caused
<br />most of the flood damage. The floodwaters descended from the mountains
<br />and spread across the alluvial fans and washed out fences, culverts,
<br />bridges, and roads. Along U.S. Highway 85 from Raton to Springer, and
<br />along U.S. Higllway 64 from Hoxie Corner to Cimarron, the capadty of
<br />every culvert and bridge_ was exceeded.
<br />
<br />46. As the fioodflow progressed downstream and spread over the
<br />floodplain, both the peak and the volume of the fleodwere reduced. The
<br />reduction in volume was accompanied by an increase in elevation of the
<br />ground water table, locally called "underflow." This increased water-
<br />tabie elevation persisted until the level of the river was lov enough to
<br />engender flow from the water table back into the river. While the ground
<br />water was at this increased elevation,~asements of many buildings were
<br />flooded. and restorati01l of dam ailed farmlands and repairs to rallroads
<br />and highways ~eredelayed. The locations and magnitudes of peak measure~
<br />ments mad.. in the Arkansas River Basin are shown on plate 11.
<br />
<br />51. The Philmont.Scout ~ch, which is owned by the Boy Scouts of
<br />America, is situated in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains within the Canadian
<br />River watershed in northern New Mexico. fishingandwatersupplylllkes
<br />on the ranch were badly damaged and fiiled with debris and boulders by
<br />the flood. Tent camps and somepernlanent improvements were severely
<br />damaged. Bridges and roads were washed out and 10,000 Boy Scouts who
<br />were en route to the ranch were stranded in various communities in New
<br />Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas. The ~lbuquerque Oistrict, Corps of Engi.
<br />neers, provided technical assistance in repairing the bridges and dams
<br />on the rancll_at the request of the Office, Chief of Engineers.
<br />52. Cimarron Creek, a tributary of the Canadian River, heads on the
<br />eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and runs through the
<br />towns of Cimarron and Springer, ~ew Mexico. The peak flow in this stream
<br />was 15,100 c.f.s. at Cimarron and increased to an estimated 33,400 c.f.s.
<br />at Sprlnger. The floodplains for these two communities are shown on
<br />plstes 19 and 20.
<br />
<br />47. nooTi CONDITIONS IN TFlF: CAIIADIAN RIVER BASIN IN NEW MEXICO.-
<br />The floods in northeastern New Mexico were preceded by an unusually wet
<br />spring, with Some areas exceeding the annual rainfall by the end of May.
<br />By :!lid-Juno, most of tho sumps and wet weather lakes were full snd the
<br />soil Moisture was good. On the night of 14 June, a large isolated storm
<br />cell formed over the Mora River. and Canyon Largo drainage areas. This
<br />rain produced runoff in the Canadian River at Sanche., New Mexico, which
<br />hadanestimatedpeakofabout140,000c.f.s. 'fhe level of Conch as Reser-
<br />voir rose from 4,163.6 feetat6a.m. to 4,174.9 feet at midnight on the
<br />15th of June, a storalle in cre~lse 0 f 51,000 acre _ feet.
<br />
<br />".
<br />
<br />On 16 and 17 June, a large storm system moved across the piains
<br />c::5t a:1d concent:i."iit..d ut, ti;ll 1I..~t.;N, "lu~" of ti,e Sangre de Cristo
<br />Range. Rains frolllthis storm produced the flood of record for
<br />
<br />53. The Canadian River, which heads in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
<br />west of Raton, flows eastward OUt of the mountains to a point just below
<br />Raton,thengenerlll1ysouthtoConchasReservoir. RatonCreek,atribu_
<br />tary to Chicorico Creek, which is a tributary to the Canadian River heads
<br />near the New MexiCO-Colorado State line and runs eastvard through R~ton.
<br />Raton CreeJ:. produced a peak discharge of 4,100 c.f.s.atRatonandfloocled
<br />propertiesalongthebanJ:.softhecreek,asshownonplate21.
<br />54. The inflow from the left bank tributaries ofVermejo River and
<br />C:rv..Creek..ithp",,1. flo.." of 10,600 c.f.s. at l1awsonand 3(),4()Oc. f.s.
<br />near Koehler, respectively, plus numerous small arroyos and sheet flOw,
<br />produced a peak flow in Canadian River at Maxwell, ~ew Mexico, estimated
<br />at 100,000 c.f.s. At the confluence of the Canadian River and Cimarron
<br />
<br />fromt!:..
<br />
<br />Mountain
<br />
<br />"
<br />
<br />"
<br />
|