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<br />Monto Vista is ~asily accessible by road, rail, and
<br />air. U.S. Hi9h~ay 285 is thB north_south national hi9h~ay link
<br />
<br />'loud Warnino and 'or~castinQ SR~vicp.s
<br />The (nviron~ental Science S~~vice~ Auninist.ation
<br />(tSS~) we~th.r 8ur~au provides straam forecasting service" on
<br />the Rio GriOnda in (olorHdo. This inciud~s d"t~rminin9 the SflOw~
<br />pack flood ~ot"flti~l in upp"r ~atershed araas and the ~ontinuous
<br />evalu~tion of rainfall ~fld temparature condition~ thet could
<br />cause ~ flood to be im~inent d~ring the spring snow~elt season.
<br />During the summ8r and fall, the flood potential of rainfall and
<br />tlpprOclchingstor",syst8:rlsare8valuated. Thisinfor",atioris
<br />augmont9d by local reports of axisting conditiofls of river etage,
<br />rainfall intensity, and temperclturo. ThB flood haza~d i" av~l-
<br />uated fron thir, total information and locel officials ars elertod
<br />
<br />a:; U.S. Hi9h"at lee, the r-;dV~jO Tr"il, is th~ ~""t_~,,~1. 11..".
<br />Twu railroads and three motor froight c~rriers ~onnu~t th0 munic~
<br />ip~litf to regic~91 ~nd natio~~l m~~kote. Ch~:tor ~i: ~~rvi~c i~
<br />available "t the modern municiPal "irport. and 8~h"dul8(j eidino
<br />flights 9re avail~bls i7 miles eaot of ~onte Vist~ ~t Al~~o5a,
<br />Color~do.
<br />
<br />The U.S. 8ure~u of the CBnsuo reported ~ population
<br />of 3,385 for the city of ~onta Vista in 19GO. The 1968 popula_
<br />tion h3S been e"tim"ted et ~700.
<br />
<br />Flow Oa,.,aq" Prev~ntion M8~~ures
<br />There ars no sxisting flcod control ~tructuros dB~igned
<br />to protect the study area fro", large magnituds flood~. A dike h~s
<br />beenconstruct"d throLJgh lQcal efforts on the south bank of the
<br />Rio Grande, extsflding ~oot from GunbarrBl Road approxi~~tBlt I}
<br />",Uos. Thi~ dike is effor.tive in minimidng damage to the f"r,,"
<br />and dllvel"P,,~nt ~long Gunbauel Road during ~m"ll "'''9''itud" flu~J~.
<br />'~~yun Wh,,~l C~p 0,,,", ~f1 authodLo.d p<oject of lh~
<br />Surouu of Roclo~otion ~ith flood control storage, ~auld bs 10Cd,&d
<br />~bout 40 mile" "bove lhe utudy arr,a. Howsver, flO u!lfini te program
<br />hoe b~cn 9~toblich!ld for conotruction of this projoct.
<br />5p"c" h,,~ not boen rBserved in irrigation re~e'~voirs
<br />in tha Lppar ~atershed of the Rio Gr~nde for etordijU of flo~J~~ler",
<br />and th" i"'po\,;ncJme"ts ~ould flot provids effective p1"ohctiorl fro<o
<br />najor flood~. if reservoir levels wsre lo~. preceding a storm,
<br />some flood~utHr could be otorBd; however, tho climiltic conditiOflS
<br />conducive to a large ~a9nituoe storm could fill th" re~er~oiro ,nd
<br />ne9~te uny flood control uooo.
<br />At thn pre~Ant timA, t.hp cJ t.y of mont." \ii.~b, h"g net
<br />odo~ted flood pldi" regulatiol1s uS a meanB of conttoll:.ng devel_
<br />op'11ent In flood ~c'une u,.ea~.
<br />
<br />to the danger of flash flooding conditions.
<br />The tsS~ Wnathpr Bureau suppli!l~ woath"r forecasts
<br />t~lce daily for th~ San Luis V~ll"t wnich includp.s montn Vista,
<br />as ~",ll dS st~te forecdsts four tim8S ddly and s~v."." .,uathsr
<br />~arflif1gB whe~ appropriatR. Th~s~ forf1ca~ts are carrisd b~ the
<br />As~ocidtcd Pre~s snd Uniteu Pro~s International, ~nd delivBrBd to
<br />
<br />~~dio, telBviaion, ~nd ~r"~o in tl;~ "r"~.
<br />Th" ."u"r"l Aviation Administ~ation ~nd ~eather Bures"
<br />hS\i~ rac8fltly com~i~t"d an ,,~~"t,,"~nt ro~ joint u~~ "r thGir ~xl~n_
<br />siva n~h'ork of p{)wBrful radar i"stall~t.ion~ covering ",ueh of the
<br />,~,,~t~rn third nf t,,~ ~(}lJnt,ry_ Twn nf thp~" r~rl~l' iflst~]l~tlflns,
<br />W8St Mesa near Albuquerque and ~~6S Ric~ ne~r Tucu",cdri, re~ch
<br />w"ll u~ into tha S~fl Luis \"alley anu ~r" "xp~ct..d to be very lJ~e_
<br />ful in lo~~ting, tr~cking, ~nd ~nalyzing r~inst01"m~ with ft~"h
<br />flene pot~ntiai.
<br />A com~unity fl~~h flood ,."",orting n"t>Jork of river '1nd
<br />r~;nf~11 "1~',lM~ ~"'; ~ rlnn,j .,,,,nin,) rrn~,~~ rlp""lnr~rl ~~r1 "rpr-
<br />~t"d in coopar~tiort ~i th the iIi<!ath~~ 5ur~~u could mirti",izn pote"-
<br />
<br />ti"l iou" of ':ives an" pro.pe"ty t'rom a lTI'1jor nool! sv"nt. Such ,'fl
<br />arrange~ent would require that lo~~l river and rai~f"!l report~ be
<br />"o"~',nic"t~c! t,y " r,,"p,_m~lbl~ 1,,,,=1 "ffi,~id1 +.u th" ~,,~U'~, But'o".''.)
<br />r~rer-a"t Office for cor,pl~tion ~ilh o~het d~t~. rv~lu~t.loo of
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