FLOOD04360

• County: Bent
• Community: Las Animas
• Stream Name: Arkansas River
• Basin: Arkansas
• Title: Interim Report on Review Survey for Flood Control
• Date: 8/1/1963
• Prepared For: Las Animas
• Prepared By: US Army Corps of Engineers
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

5. The report of the Arkansas-White-Red Basins Inter-Agency
Committee, dated June 30, 1955, was publ ished as Senate Document
No. 13, 85th Congress, Development of Water and Land Resources of the
Arkansas-Wh i te and Red River Bas i ns. Th i s comprehens ive report pre-
sented a long-range plan, coordinated among al I interested Federal
agencies and the States involved, for the development and uti I ization
of the water and land resources of the Arkansas, White, and Red River
Basins. The plan included improvement of the Arkansas River at Las
Animas in the interest of flood control.

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Purgatoire River through Trinidad was authorized by Congress in 1944,
substantially as recommended in this document, preconstruction planning
of the project was postponed pending the results of a review survey
investigation requested by Congress in 1945.

d. House Document No. 325, 84th Congress, Purqatoire Rive~
Colorado. This report consisted of a review of House Document No. 387,
78th Congress, to determine whether the recommendations contained
therein should be modified to provide flood protection for Trinidad and,
at. the same time, improve the water supply for agricultural and indus-
trial uses. In accordance with the recommendations of the report,
Congress authorized the construction of the Trinidad Dam and Reservoir
on the Purgatoire River above Trinidad to provide flood protection to
the city and conservation of the water supply. The authorization also
provided for abrogation of the channel improvement project when the dam
is placed under construction. Preconstruct ion planning of the project
is nearing completion.

6. IMPROVEMENTS DESIRED.- Public hearings were held by the
Albuquerque District Engineer at Pueblo on March 20, 1944, and
August 3, 1950, to afford local interests an opportunity to present
their flood probLems and to express their views concerning the char-
acter and extent of water resources improvements desired on the Arkansas
River and tributaries in Colorado. A joint regional public hearing
was held at Pueblo on October 5, 1950, by the Arkansas-White-Red Basins
Inter-Agency Committee.

7. During the hearings, statements made in behalf of the city of
Las Animas and Bent County related an increasingly serious flood threat
at Las Animas caused by heavy plant growth in the riverbed which retards
flows and results in deposition of si It and decreased channel capacities.
Furthermore, it was brought out that as a result'of aggradation and
bank erosion, the river threatens to change its course during floods
and flow through the town. Local interests also mentioned that Las
Animas could possibly be flooded by backwater from John Martin Reser-
voir. Channel straightening and installation of steel jetties were
suggested as corrective measures. In conclusion, it was stated that
the city and county together had accompl ished some work for flood pro-
tection which rei ieved the problem temporari Iy, but adequate measures
for solution of the serious flood problem were beyond the financial
abi I ity of local interests.

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