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<br />PURGATOIRE (PICKET WIRE) RIVliJR, COLO.
<br />
<br />23
<br />
<br />',61. Local interests-Plans of improvement.-Plans of improvement
<br />suggested by certain local interests, at the hearing and subsequently
<br />thereto, include regulatory reservoirs in Wet, Lorencito, Zarcillo"
<br />and Burro Canyons, and a storage reservoir in Long Canyon, all of
<br />which are tributary to the main stem above Trinidad. A low channel
<br />dam across Purgatoire River would divert floodwaters into Long
<br />Canyon, through a connecting canal. The stored water would be used
<br />for irrigation purposes. The proposed Long Canyon Reservoir with
<br />a capacity of 4,700 acre,feet, would be almost double the aggregate
<br />capacity of the.fourregulatory reservoirs in other. canyons. Pertinent
<br />dll.t"'''on the.dive',l'eaervoirs sugg<ij\!lIJd, bylocal, interests.:are'shown:.in
<br />table No.8.
<br />
<br />TABLE No.' S.-Pertinent data on the five resC1rvoir plans suggested by local interests:
<br />
<br />Reservoir
<br />
<br />Purpose
<br />
<br />R138orvolr
<br />capacity I
<br />
<br />Drainllge
<br />area above
<br />dam'
<br />
<br />Percent of
<br />drainage
<br />areaabovo, .
<br />TrinIdad
<br />(742 square
<br />miles) I
<br />
<br />---------------~----
<br />" ,
<br />
<br />Wett Canyon......... Flood control (regultl.tory)..___..._______..__
<br />wrollcito CanyoIl__._ ...._do__..__________._......._________...____
<br />Zarclllo Canyon...... Ohhdo.__________.u...______________._______
<br />Bttrro'CanYOlL. __ ___ __ __.do......... _ __ _ __ __u__ _.___.. .___ _". _.._
<br />Long CanyOIl________ Flood cDntrol and Irrlgatlon (storage)___.-.n
<br />Total_______ __._ _ __.~_._~__ ______ _____.~__~~.____ _ __ __.. .._ ___
<br />
<br />Acre-Iut
<br />651
<br />400
<br />830
<br />608
<br />24,720
<br />7,299
<br />
<br />Squaremile8
<br />43.9
<br />76.5
<br />336.8
<br />29.4-
<br />8134-.0
<br />320.6
<br />
<br />,..
<br />10.3-
<br />5..
<br />4,.
<br />18.0
<br />43.2'
<br />
<br />I Capacities and drainage area 8\'6 gIven by loell interests. .
<br />8 Prlln,nllrfor irrJgation storage, not dope3d!l.blo for flood controt .
<br />! ll,Ctti~.<U;4\1ri\lgo'\l.rc!L abl)vo moutp,of ZareQI~.-CalJ.Yo.n Is .36 s9.Il~1'O mi.t~,'and'Long Oanyon, 110 sqlla~&
<br />mllos. ",', " , ",'.' '.
<br />
<br />
<br />The ,drainage area of the four regulatory flood'control reservoirs
<br />would be only 25 percent of the total ,drainage area, upstream of
<br />Trinidad, and even this portion of the area would not be completely
<br />controlled owing to the small reservoir capacities involved. The,
<br />Long Canyon site would be used principally for irrigation storage
<br />and would not be dependable for flood,control purposes, Because of
<br />their limited drainage areas and their small capacities, the reservoirs
<br />would not afford any appreciable flood control. in the main valley,
<br />particularly at Trinidad and downstream therefrom, and their con..
<br />struction could not be economically justified for that purpose. 'Flood
<br />damages in the local valleys immediately downstream from the
<br />sugg,O'Ited sites are very small. 'rhe plan would have some merit
<br />for the conservation of a part of the floodwaters, The regulatory
<br />reservoirs, by retarding the flow of flash floods and prolonging the'
<br />period of higher discharge, would permit the capture of more water
<br />by irrigators, and the storage of water in Long Canyon would be of
<br />benefit as a supplemental supply to the farms under irrigation. The
<br />total benefits which would accrue from the execution of the plan would
<br />not be great enough to warrant the construction of the five reservoir"
<br />suggested by local interests.
<br />62. Resertoirs in lower Purgatoire Basin.-From time to time,
<br />several reservoir sites have been surveyed in the lower basin of Pur,
<br />gatoireRiver with the view to providing a supplementary regulated
<br />water supply to Arkansas River. The 3 sites of greatest merit
<br />are the Mammoth site, near the upper end of the lower basin; the
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