FLOOD06359

• Designation Number: 178
• County: Otero
• Community: Unincorporated Otero County
• Stream Name: Arkansas River, Timpas Creek
• Basin: Arkansas
• Title: Floodplain Information Report - Arkansas River, Timpas Creek, Otero County, Colorado
• Date: 8/1/1981
• Designation Date: 12/1/1981
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

I

Additional information on the Flood
available from local insurance agents or

Insurance
brokers and

Program
the:

i,

Continental Divide near Leadville, Colorado. Between Leadville
and Canon City it is a typical mountain scream with fairly steep
slopes descending more than 6,000 feet in elevation in 1\ distance
of about 130 miles.

Federal Emergency Management Agency
Division of Insurance and Mitigation
Building 710
Denver Federal Center
Denver, Colo. 80225
Telephone[phone]
II. RELATED FLOOD STUDIES
A Special Flood Ha'l:ard Information report entitled "Arkansas
River, Anderson and King Arroyos, La Junta, Otero County,
Colorado" was published by the Corps of Engineers in August.
1977. This flood hazard study presented 1.nforlllation on the flood
hazat'da on the At'kansas Rivet' and ita tr1.butat'1.ea in the vie1.n1.ty
of La Junta, Colorado (Refet'ence 2).
The pt'eaent study extends ft'om the upstream limit of the Corps of
Engineers study on the Arkansas River for a distanee of
approximately 15.5 mile a to the v1.e1.nity of Roeky Ford.
Stream stationing in the present study on the Arkansas River was
continued from the upatream limit of the Corps of Engineers
study. Dischsrges and water surface elevation at the common
boundary of the two studies are identical.
The Corps of Engineers published in December, 1977, a report
entitled "La Junta Local Protection Project, Ls Junta,
Colorado" (Referenee 3). This study includes hydrologic analyses
for the La Junta area and agreea with the previously published
Special Flood Hazard Information Study.
The United Geological Survey Water Supply Paper 487 was published
in 1922 and givea information concerning the Arkansas River
Flood of June 3-5, 1921 (Reference 4). In 1966, a flood report
for the Arkanaas River Basin wall prepsred by the U. S. Army COrps
of Engineers (Referenc.. 5). This study deals with the Arkansaa
River Flood of 1965, and its effects on Colorado, Kansas, and New
Mexico.

Between Canon City and Pueblo the river flows in a transitional
region between the high mountains and the eastet'n plains.

Downstream of Pueblo, the river flows east across the eastern
plains to the Kansas border. In this region the valley is
between one and three miles in width with relatively flat
slopes. The main tributaries of the Arkansas River are Fountain
Creek, St. Charles River, Apishaza River and Timpas Creek.
Normal rainfall precipitation in the Arkansas River Basin ranges
from approximately 12.5 inches per year in the lower elevations
to approximately 16.8 inches per year in the mountainous regions
(Reference 6). In the Timpas Creek Basin, normal annual
precipitaion is 12.5 inches. Maximum and minimum \,emperature,
extremes range in the study basins from about 110 F in the
lowlands to about .30or in the highlands. Vegetation in the
study basin consists of mesquite and willow bushes, with
occasional groves of cottonwoods and juniper bushes. In the
upper part of the basin, evergreens and aspen are predominant.

B. Study Reach Description
The ~tudy reach of this floodplain information report extends
from the upstream Umit of the Corps of Engineers study near
La Junta for approximately 15.5 miles upstream to Rocky Ford.
Two additional study areas include a 1.0 mile reach near
Manzanola and 1.7 mile reach near Fowler. The Timpas Creek Study
reach extends from the Arkansas Rivet' for a distance of 2.5 miles
upstream. The Arkansas River and Timpas Creek valleys are
genl!rally broad and flat. Along the Arkansas River the land
immediately adjacent to the river has heavy growths of trees and
brush interspersed with meadows and cultivated land. Timpas
Creek is bordered on both sides by cultivated lands. The towns
of Swink, Rocky Ford. Manzanola and Fowler are generally located
outside of the floodplains of the study streams and there is
generally little development at present in the floodplains.

A. Drainage Basin Characteristics
The Arkansas River originate a in the high mountains

along the

The portion of the Arkansas River 3asin under consideration in
this study has its downstream limit at the upstreanl limit of the
1977 Corps of Engineers Study. The upstream limit on the
Arkansas is approximately 550 ft. upstrea... of Fowler, Colorado.
The total study reach on the Arkansas River is 18.5 miles. Also
included in this rl'port is a 2.5 mile reach of Timpas Creek,
starting at its confluence with the Arkansas River and extending
upstream.

III. STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION

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