FLOOD04846

• County: Otero
• Community: La Junta
• Basin: Arkansas
• Title: Local Pre-disaster Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Date: 10/1/1998
• Prepared For: La Junta
• Prepared By: CWCB
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Mitigation/Flood Warning/Watershed Restoration

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1. Introduction

In recent years, the City of La Junta and Otero County, Colorado have grown slowly but
surely. This growth has included the paving of undeveloped land areas with parking lots, subdivisions,
etc. These activities have increased overland run-off in the community by reducing the amount of area
where heavy rainfall can be absorbed by the soil. In the past 3-5 years, heavy summer thunderstonn
events have caused the Arkansas River to flow at higher levels than any of the citizens can remember.
In the summer of 1997, a cooperative effort between city and county officials was launched to acquire,
if necessary, then demolish vacant and unsafe structures in the floodplain, Officials contacted the
Colorado Water ConseIVation Board and the Colorado Office of Emergency Management to seek
recommendations for solutions to the identified problem, Both agencies recommended the
development of a Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan. This document is the result of the subsequent
planning effort.

The purpose of this Pre-Disaster Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan is to 1) identifY the critical
flood hazard issues for the city, county and surrounding area, and 2) identifY pre-disaster mitigation
activities and techniques that can be implemented to reduce future flood losses before they occur. The
Colorado Water ConseIVation Board has developed a model Pre-Disaster Flood Hazard Mitigation
Plan for Colorado's communities with support from local, county, state and federal personnel.

2. Community Description

La Junta is located in the fertile Arkansas River Valley in the southeastern section of Colorado.
It is the county seat of Otero County and is located in east central Otero County. This section of the
Arkansas River Valley is a rich agricultural and stock raising territory, which is the basic economy of
the area, This economy has been fairly stable through the years.

The floodplains north of the Arkansas River are approximately one mile in width, very flat and
bordered on the north by low bluffs or hills. Land along the north side of the river is largely
agricultural, although approximately one mile, through North La Junta and La Junta Gardens, is fairly
densely developed as a residential area.

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