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DI2 FLOODS OF 1965 IN THE UNITED STATES inches fell in 4 hours during the early morning of June 17. Holly, Colo., reported 11.08 inches. At the airport in Raton, N. Mex., 5.52 inches of rainfall was recorded between 1700 and 2200 hours, and 2.32 inches of this fell between 1900 and 2000 hours. New monthly records for June were set at Cimarron, Grenville, Raton Airport, Lake Maloya, and Roy, N. Mex. (pI. 2). RAINFALL ON JUNE 18-19 Heavy rains continued on June 18 at some points in Colorado and on June 18-19 in New Mexico. Although the rains did not increase flooding substantially, they did contribute significantly to storm-period totals. Some 2-day rainfall amounts were 4.95 inches at Grenville and 3.68 inches at Raton, N. Mex., and 4.09 inches at Holly and 2.59 inches at Lamar, Colo. DESCRIPTION OF THE FLOODS The Arkansas River heads in the mountainous regions of Colorado near Leadville. It flows generally southward through a valley region to Salida, then eastward through canyon areas to Canon City and Pueblo. From Pueblo the river flows eastward across the plains of Colorado and into Kan- sas. The June 1965 floods were generated by storms over the eastern slopes of the mountains and on the eastern plains and affected the Arkansas River tributaries downstream from Pueblo. The Arkansas River above Pueblo contributed only minor flows to the flood area although the flow, largely from snowmelt, was above normal. The Canadian River heads in the mountainous regions of New Mexico near Raton, just south of Colorado, and for the most part flows in a narrow valley until it is joined by Chicorica Creek south of Hebron (pI. I). From this point to the Canadian River gorge, a distance of about 26 miles, the valley is fairly broad, but the river is entrenched between high cutbanks. The head of the Canadian River gorge is about 2 miles downstream from Cimarron Creek, near Taylor Springs, and from this point the river flows in a deep nearly continuous chasm, out of New Mexico. All the major western tributaries upstream from Conchas Reservoir rise in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and are characterized by steep-channel slopes and small low- water channels. The floods originated principally in four general areas: near Colorado Springs, Colo.; south of the Arkansas River in Colorado from Las Animas to the Colorado-Kansas State line; near Raton, N. Mex., in both Colorado and New Mexico; and in the Mora River basin in New Mexico. The Mora River basin sustained its greatest flooding from heavy rainfall on June 14 and 15. High runoff in most other areas was caused by the storms of June 16 and 17. The irregular distribution of the intense rainfall was such that some tributaries contributed little runoff to the flood. Some of those tributaries were on the south side of the Arkansas River in Colorado from Pueblo to Fowler and on the north side from Boone to Rocky Ford. Flooding in Kan- ""'" ....""It-..A f..n..... ....,,;..-:1.."'1 ....'nnff f............ r.....ln.."'A....