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<br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Las Animas is the county seat and largest community of Bent <br />County. The city is located on the south bank of the Arkansas <br />River, about 2~ miles upstream from the confluence of the <br />Purgatoire River. John Martin Reservoir is located downstream <br />from the Purgatoire. The City of Las Animas had a population of <br />3.402 in 1960 and 3,187 in 1972. <br /> <br />Purpose and Scope <br /> <br />In 1974, the Federal Insurance Administration of the Depart- <br />ment of Housing and Urban Development issued a Flood-Hazard <br />Boundary Map for the City of Las Animas which indicated that the <br />portion of the City north of Fifth Street was located within the <br />flood plain of the 100-year frequency flood of the Arkansas <br />River. The map was the result of a flood-prone area map prepared <br />by the U.S. Geological Survey. This map constituted the first <br />step to enable the City of Las Animas to participate in the <br />federal Flood Insurance program. <br />This flood-hazard map with a seemingly arbitary flood- <br />boundary line on it caused considerable concern among the City <br />officials as to the accuracy of the determination. This concern <br />resulted in discussions with the Bent County Land Use Administrator <br />about the inclusion of the flood plain determination under the <br />supplemental-funding program of H.B. 1041. This resulted in a <br />contract with Hydro Engineering in March, 1975 to make this study <br />of flooding at Las Animas. <br />The scope of this study included an elevation survey of <br />street intersections in north Las Animas, a survey of the Highway <br />50 bridge north of Las Animas, determination of channel slope, <br />analysis of gaging station records and flood reports, and research <br />into local newspaper accounts of past floods. The study was <br /> <br />1 <br />