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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74. FLOOD DAMAGES.- A detai led evaluation was made of the land
and improvements in the area subject to overflow, under the existing
state of development, by a recurrence of the maximum recorded flood
of 1921 (187,000 c.f.s.', as modified by the Barrier Dam. It is es-
timated that the peak discharge of the flood of record would be reduced
to 140,000 c.f.s. through regulation afforded by Barrier Dam. The
areas subject to flooding by the standard project flood and the modified
flood of record on the Arkansas River are del imited on plate 2.
Although the flood plain of the modified 1921 flood is somewhat sma I ler
in area than that of the standard project flood (200,000 c.f.s.', it
includes the same urban and suburban lands and improvements and a
large percentage of the agricultural property. The estimated values
of land and improvements in the flood plain are I isted in table 3.

located in the western part of the city at a higher elevation so only
a sma I I segment would be flooded to depths greater than 2 feet. The
lower-value property located in the eastern and southern sections of
the city would be flooded to depths of 4 to 6 feet. AI I of the city
would be flooded with the exception of 10 to 15 blocks in the west-
central section; however, this area would be entirely surrounded by
water.

73. Improvements in the rural area include farm improvements,
county and farm roads, power distribution I ines, telephone I ines, and
irrigation faci lities. Nearly al I the water used for irrigation is
diverted from surface flows although in recent years some underground
water has been used. There are about 15 irrigation wel Is in the area
at the present time. Irrigation water is diverted from""the Arkansas
River near the west end of the flood plain and conveyed to the dis-
tribution laterals by 3 main canals. About 40 percent of the irrigated
land is used for production of grain sorghum, 33 percent for alfalfa,
10 percent for wheat, and 17 percent for corn, barley, oats, vegetable
crops, and pasture. The annual yields per acre of sorghum, alfalfa,
and wheat are about 49 bushels, 2. I tons, and 34 bushels, respectively.

75. The principal flood damage to Las Animas and vicinity is
caused by overflow from the Arkansas River. Very high flows on the
Purgatoire River would cause minor inundation near the confluence of
the two rivers; however, the damages on an average annu~1 basis are
not significant. Flood damages include both tangible and intangible
damages. Tangible damages are those subject to monetary evaluation
and include physical damage to property, reduction of net crop income,
emergency costs, and business and financial losses both in and adja-
cent to the area subject to flooding. Intangible damages are those
not susceptible of monetary evaluation and include danger to human
I ife, human discomfort, injury and exposure during floods, creation
of conditions detrimental to health and secruity, and interruption of
normal corrvnunity activities. Physical damages include the cost of
cleanup, damage to bui Idings and contents, and damage to other improve-
ments and property. Although rai Iroads, highways, streets, roads,

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