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<br />produced a peak capacity of 45,000 cubic feet per second, damag~d
<br />communicatIOns and transportation and public,utility installations,
<br />and destroyed fwir bridges and several brick and stone structures
<br />adjacent to the river. The damages from this flood have been esti,
<br />mated at from $350,000 to $500,000 in the city of Trinidad. Major
<br />floods occurred in July 1925, August 1929, September 1934, and
<br />April 1942: No improvements for flood control in Purgatoire River
<br />have been authorized by Congress. .kfter .the 1904 flood, the city
<br />of Trinidad and the Atchison, 'l'opeka & Santa Fe Railway performed
<br />some channel and bank protection works in the eity of Trinidad at a
<br />reported cost of $62,000. During 1936-38, the Works Progress
<br />Administration completed and ' repaired a ba,nk,protection project in
<br />Trinidad at a cost of $9,930 of which $6,068 were Federal funds,
<br />Bank protection after thc 1942 flood is reported to have cost $10,800.
<br />Local interests have constructed a number of small diversion dams
<br />and irrigation worl,s in addition to minor protective works in' the,
<br />basin. The improvements desired are flood protection, particularly
<br />,at Trinidad, and the conservation of flood flows for irrigation.' Local
<br />interests suggest regulatory dams in Burro, Zarcillo, Lorencito, and
<br />'Wet Canyons. They also suggest a small dam on Purgatoire River
<br />with a connecting canal to store floodwaters in a reservoir in Longs
<br />Canyon. They state that flood'control improvements designed to
<br />conserve floodwaters for irrigation will make more lands available for
<br />lucrative farming, and they offer t,o participate in the construction
<br />cost to the extent of their ahility.
<br />4. The district engineer has investigated various plans of improve,
<br />ment for control of floods and for storage of water for irrigation pur,
<br />'poses in Purgatoire River Basin. He states that reservoirs in Long,
<br />Burro, Zarcillo, Lorencito, and Wet Canyons would have some merit
<br />for the conservation of a part of the ,floodwaters for irrigat,ion,but
<br />because of their limited drainage areas and small capacities, they
<br />would not afford any appreciable flood control in the main valley.
<br />He concludes that the combined benefits from both flood control
<br />and irrigation would be'insufficient to warrant their construction.
<br />He believes, however, that local protection works in the ,city of
<br />Trinidad arc warranted; and he proposes the construction of channel
<br />and lovee works through the city as shown on the accompanying map:
<br />He 'estimates the first cost of the improvem~nt at $908,300 to the
<br />United States for the construction and $126,200 to local interests
<br />for lands and damages, bridge alterations, and drainage and diversion
<br />changes, a total of $1,034,500. The total annual carrying charge,
<br />including maintenance, is estimated at $42,200. The improvement
<br />will provide complete protection to 370 acres of land in the city from
<br />a flood of 45,000 cubic feet per second, the maximum of record, and
<br />produce flood benefits estimated at $41,650, of which $29,650 will
<br />accrue in elimination of flood damage to residential, business, indus,
<br />tri\1l,. municipal, and public,utility properties, and $12,000 in enhance,
<br />ment in land value over and above the flood damages elinlinated.
<br />The improvement will also produce large intangible benefits such as
<br />the preservation of nationally important transportation facilities,
<br />prevention, of service interruptions ,affecting national commerce,'
<br />prevention of possible loss of life, exposure, and human suffering due
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