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<br />
<br />decreed water rights, the diversion of water to the reservoir is made
<br />'mainly during the winter months and during high flow periods at
<br />other seasons of the year. All other irrigated lands in the vicinity
<br />are scrved by direct diversions without the aid of reservoir storage.
<br />18. Irrigation improvements in the basin consist principally of small
<br />dams and ilTigation headworks, and canals. From the mouth of
<br />Long Canyon to mile 122 at the head of the canyon section, 7 low
<br />concrete dams havc been constructed with heights varying from 3 to 7
<br />feet. Nine Mile and Highland Dams are permanent structures about
<br />5 feet in height in the lower canyon section. There is no storage
<br />capacity beh11ld any of the diversion structures, the 'dams serving
<br />merely to raise the water to the elcvation of the diversion canal
<br />headgates. There is also a number of other irrigation structures con-
<br />sisting largely of small brush and rock diversion dams,of a temporary
<br />nature, with the necessary ditches leading the water directly to the
<br />farm lands. There are records of 22 reservoirs in the basin with an
<br />aggr.egu,te capacity of 29,000acre,fcet at the time of construction.
<br />None of these reservoirs is on the main channel of Purgatoire River.
<br />At the present time, several diversion structures are not in operation
<br />because of damages sustained during the flood of April 1942,and
<br />reconstruction plans are as yet in the preliminary stages. The,
<br />irrigation diteheswith decreed rights drawing watcr from that part of
<br />Purgatoire Rivcrin the area under consideration prior to April 1942,
<br />with the priorities and amounts of watcr dccreed to each, the length
<br />'of ditch, and the acreage under each ditch are shown in table No.3,
<br />appendix C.'
<br />19, Occupation8 and industrie8.-The principal industries of the
<br />basin in ol'dcr of 'economic importance are mercant~Ie, coal mining,
<br />agriculture, and manufacturing, The trend of economic cycles is
<br />reflected by thc coul,mining activity within the basin. Many of the
<br />miners engage in raising livestock and farming during slack periods.
<br />. Itetail business in Trinidad serves the greater part of the population
<br />within the basin, and in 1940 the number of these establishments was
<br />211, with a lotal volume of business amounting to $5,761,000. Ac,
<br />eording to statistics published by the State of Colorado, Las Animas
<br />County, in which the greater portion of the Purgatoire River Basin lies,
<br />ranked first in the State in 1940 in the vulue of range cattle and second
<br />in coal mining in 1939. The values of these products were $2,000,000
<br />, and $2,850,000 respect.ively. Manufacturing consists largely of the
<br />processing of clay products, foundries, stone, and broom works, and
<br />the processing of meat and farm and dairy produce. Logging operll>
<br />tions arc conducted to some extent in the mountains, the products
<br />consisting principally of mine props and tics. A smull portion of the
<br />San Isabel N ationul Forest is in the extreme northwestern part of the
<br />basin. The main trunk pife line of the Colorado Interstate Gas Co.
<br />traverses the central part 0 the basin in a north,south direction, cross,
<br />ing Purgatoire Rher at mile 97. The line transports natural gas from
<br />the Texas gas fields to cities north of the drainage area and through
<br />connecting lines serves States adjacent to Colorado. '
<br />, 20. I1ailroad8.-The Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railway crosses
<br />the basin twice, once in an east,west direction at the mouth of the
<br />river. ",no once in a southwest,northeast direction through Trinidad.
<br />
<br />1 Not printed.
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