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<br />. <br />. <br />. <br />'. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />!. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />i. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />I. <br />'. <br />. <br />I: <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />'. <br />. <br />I. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br /> <br />FLOOD PLAIN DELINEATION STUDY <br />LOS PINOS RIVER BELOW V ALLECITO DAM TO <br />THE SOUTHERN UTE INDIAN RESERVATION BOUNDARY <br />LA PLATA COUNTY, COLORADO <br /> <br />AUTHORIZATION <br /> <br />The Los Pmos River flood plain delineation study was perfonned under authority of the U.S. <br />Arlny Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District, Flood Plain Management Services (FPMS) <br />Progriun. The program's authority stems from Section 206 of the Flood Control Act of 1960 (pL 86- <br />645), as amended. <br /> <br />PURPOSE OF STUDY <br /> <br />Mr. Butch Knowlton, Director of Emergency Preparedness, Search and Rescue, and Safety <br />Officer, La Plata County, Colorado, requested assistance from the Albuquerque District, FPMS <br />Program, to delineate the 0.2%-, 1.0%-,2.0%-, and 10.0%-chance (500-, 100-,50-, and 10-year) <br />flood plains along approximately 14 miles of the Los Piiios River from Vallecito Dam to the <br />Southern Ute Indian Reservation boundary. <br /> <br />Flood plains are the low-lying areas adjoining the channels of rivers, streams, or other <br />watercourses, which have been or may be inundated by floodwater. They are shaped by dynamic <br />physical and biological processes such as the hydrologic cycle, climate, erosion and deposition, <br />extreme natural events, and other forces. Uncontrolled development and use of flood-prone lands <br />by unsuspecting or uninfonned people may lead to loss of life and property damage. Prudent land <br />use practices are essential for allowing the continued use of valuable flood plain assets while at the <br />same time safeguarding them against abuse; therefore, flood plains must be considered in the conteXt <br />of total community management. <br /> <br />WATERSHED DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />The study area includes an approximately 14-mile reach of the Los Pmos River from <br />Vallecito Dam to the Southern Ute Indian Reservation Boundary near Bayfield, Colorado. The Los <br />Piiios River originates in San Juan County in the San Juan Mountains and flows south through La <br />Plata County and the Southern Ute Indian Reservation to its confluence with the San Juan River and <br />the Navajo Reservoir in northwestern New Mexico. The study area is shown on the watershed map <br />presented as Exhibit 1. <br /> <br />EXISTING FLOOD CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS <br /> <br />The Los Piiios River is impounded in Vallecito Reservoir, which is located approximately <br />14 miles upstream from Bayfield. At Vallecito Reservoir, the river drains a 270-square-mile <br />watershed. Completed in 1941 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), the earth-fill darn <br /> <br />I <br />