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

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8. At the request of the Arkansas River Conservancy District, a
responsible organization formed under the laws of the State of Colorado
to cooperate with the Federal Government, a meeting was held at Las
Animas on December 8, 1959. Attending were Congressman J. Edgar
Chenoweth, city and county officials, representatives of the Corps of
Engineers, and other interested persons. Locai interests reiterated
the seriousness of the flood problem and requested advice regarding
the steps to be taken to secure Federa I ass i stance, i nf ormat ion re I at i ve
to poss i b Ie so rut i on of the prob I em, and the extent to wh ich I oca I
interests would be required to participate in a flood control improve-
ment. During the meeting, they pointed out that despite the channel
work accompl ished during the past 10 years, the Arkansas River channel
had continued to aggrade. It was their opinion that channel ization
alone would not solve the problem and that levees also would be re-
quired to provide a permanent solution. Tentative plans of improvement
were presented to local interests for their consideration and comments.
During the discussion which fol lowed, the minimum requirements of local
participation were reviewed and explained.

9. Another meeting was held at Las Animas on June 12, 1962, with
Conservancy D i str I ct off i cia Is, city off iei a Is, and other I oca I interests
together with representat i ves of the Co I or ado Game and Fish Department
and the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wi Idlife, U.S. Fish and Wi Idlife
Service. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss various features
of a pre I iminary plan of improvement for flood control and to consider
the possibi I ities of incorporating plans for the construction of a
sma I I fishing lake in connection therewith. Local interests stated
that they were planning to bui id a public park adjacent to the city and
that such a lake would be an important nucleus in the development. They
added that the city already owns the land and water rights and presently
maintains a chi Idren's fishing pool, a one-acre pond, at the proposed
site.

10. EXTENT OF INVESTIGATION.- The objective of the interim
survey of Las Animas and vicinity was to investigate the flood and
other problems as reported by local interests and determine whether
they could be treated independently of the overal I problem associated
with the development of the water and related iand resources of the
Arkansas River Basin. AI I avai lable basic data were reviewed and
previous studies were reanalyzed in view of up-to-date information on
regional and local economic conditions of development. A reconnais-
sance of the area was made by the District Engineer. General and
detai led topographic and geological maps publ ished by the U.S.
Geological Survey, together with aerial photographs of the U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture and the highway and transportation maps suppl ied by
the Colorado State Department of Highways, were used to compi Ie the
base maps accompanying this report. In addition, a recent map of the
city of Las Animas was obtained from the City Engineer. These and
other maps used. as reference are I isted in appendix A. The plan of
improvement presented in this report and recommended for authorization

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