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<br />th~se data, streamflow information, and potential flood warnlngo
<br />could then be deliv~red to that 3ame offici~l for ~istribution to
<br />rssponsiblo officials in the comm~nity.
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<br />V~lloy except in ths flood plains and irrigeted fialdo devoted
<br />toagricult"re.
<br />The Rio CrsndR, along with 88VBr~1 of its tribut~rI8~,
<br />is ~ persnnial river. 08magin~ floods of throe gensro1 typeD
<br />originate on the Hio Grande in the mountains weat of Monte Vista.
<br />Themol'sfrequontfloodereault1ngfromllnow,naltareoharacterie_
<br />tioally of long duration with rolativllly low peek flowo. The leso
<br />frequent rainfoll-caused floods or8 of relatively short duration
<br />and have higher peak flows than the snowmelt floods. The l~g~t
<br />frequent and, possibly, most dangerous flood occurs ~hon rain aug~
<br />~ents th~ opring snowmelt causing high p~aka in ~ddition to long
<br />duration.
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<br />The StrA~m and Its Vsll~v
<br />
<br />TI,.. l,aeO ,oil.. i''''9 Rio Cnnde, on8 of the major or"ln~
<br />ages in the United State", h"~dwat,,r~ in southern Colorado, flows
<br />through c..ntral Ne~ Mexico, Hnd becomos the Unitsd States-mexico
<br />boundury beginning at (1 P~so, Texus. Rio Granda w~t~r is used
<br />for irrigation, municipal and industri~l w"t~r supply, and racra-
<br />~tion.
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<br />The oblong-shapod Rio Grande wat"rah~d abovs Monte
<br />Vish ia 107 mUse long and ~bout ~C miles in maximum width. The
<br />drainage arOa of ~pproximately 1,590 square miles is located with_
<br />in Hinsdals, SanJuan, i'iineral,Sagua"ha, andHio Granda CcuntiBS .
<br />The river originatss alonq the Continental Divide in the S~n
<br />Juan ~ountain3 at elevations generally abov~ 10,000 f~"t. Many
<br />of the peaks hers arB Over 13,000 feet ~ith tho highest being thA
<br />Rio CrMde Pyr.,,-oid ut 13,830 f"",t.
<br />The western portio" of the Ri.o Crarlde water~hed above
<br />Del NOI't" b boundod by the high mountain ridge forming the Con_
<br />tinental Divide. an tha northeast, it is ~oundad by thp w~tor-
<br />sheih of ~tre"mg draining into the olosed bMin of the Sun Luis
<br />Valley. Along the Contin"'rlt~l Divide, the river is fed by p8r-
<br />petual .no~ fields and springo, The topogr"phy is characteri,,,d
<br />by relativnly narrow valleys and mountain parks ourrQLndad by
<br />~tc~p, ruggsd t~rr~ln through ~hich the stroam cascadss do~nw~rd
<br />over bfldrGck and cobbles in a \\Joll entrenched ch~nn"l. In theB~
<br />highar alev~t;one, th~ v~g~tal cover ranges from ~ountain ~r"esug
<br />Qnu herbs to h,,~vlly furMhd ared6 of cortiF"r~ ~"u "~pH".
<br />The w~tAr~he<l ~w,t M [')",1 IIInrte, which evolv..s into
<br />th~ ~dat!vel\' fl~t. hig"~ plains cf go"th~"n Colorado, ig b~u",-J~Li
<br />on thn oOllth by the Ala'"o"g "<ld Rock Cr8ek ",atorshoo~, Sp~rs8
<br />yl"aga "'''u othGr "emiarid V"9GtHtion ~l"e tYfJic"l in the San Luia
<br />
<br />The shea",b~d el"v'ltion" dthin th.. ~t"dy rSQch vary
<br />from 7,611" feet ~t H~"elake Ro~d to 7,745.2 feet juot ubaV8
<br />S"ve"~ile Plaza (~e~ Plate 4 for lo~~tion3). The channel slopes
<br />uniformiy at about 11 feet per mile. The flood pl~in width~ would
<br />v~ry from 3.30 mil~s at Mile 73.70 during a 5tanddrd Proj~ct Flood
<br />to ISO f~rt at ~ile 83.82 during a~ Intermsdtat~ R~9icnal Flood,
<br />fJert1ncnt drainage ere,,~ of the Rio Gr"nd~ ara giv~n in r"bl!l 1.
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<br />TAElLEl
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<br />IlRAINAGEAREASINWATERSHEDOFR10GRANOE
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<br /> n,u~ .~- ,~ Urain~qe
<br /> ,,~~.'
<br />LOCAtion State Lin~ Are"
<br /> ". mile"
<br />Ala"o"" Gago 4R.7 1,710
<br />'~onte Vista Gage 76.7 1,590
<br />'"' Norh Gage 93.0 1,320
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<br />D"velop"'ents in the floo,! PI"dn
<br />PIMsa ~ th,ough lD ~how the flood ;:hin::; of U;~
<br />1(io Grand~ for the reach covered by this report. ,,,!thin the
<br />Litv limit~ ~f Mont~ Vi.t~, the dcv~lo~~d floou plain l~nds
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