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<br />BACKGROUND INFORMATION <br /> <br />Holly, Colorado lies in the Arkansas River valley on the <br /> <br /> <br />north bank of the Arkansas River about five miles west of the Colorado- <br /> <br />Kansas state line. The town is situated at the confluence of wild <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Horse Creek, a north bank tributary, Two Butte Creek, a south bank <br /> <br /> <br />tributary and the Arkansas River. These watersheds are located in <br /> <br /> <br />the High Plains physiographic province and are characterized by <br /> <br /> <br />treeless, flat alluvial plains gently rolling due to erosion. <br /> <br /> <br />The town of Holly, 1970 population of 993, serves as <br /> <br /> <br />the local trade center for the surrounding livestock and farming <br /> <br /> <br />industry. Holly is located on U.S. Highway 50, Colorado State Road <br /> <br /> <br />89 and is also served by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway <br /> <br /> <br />which provides freight service for the area's agricultural products. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />The Streams and Their Valleys <br /> <br /> <br />The Arkansas River originates in the central part of <br /> <br /> <br />the Rocky Mountains near Leadville, Colorado. The river is a typical <br /> <br /> <br />torrential mountain stream until it emerges from central Colorado's <br /> <br /> <br />Royal Gorge Canyon which has steep walls over 1,000 feet high. Below <br /> <br /> <br />the canyon, the valley gradually grows wider and descends through the <br /> <br /> <br />Great Plains region to Holly. The river in this reach is character- <br /> <br /> <br />ized by a wide streambed with low banks. Stream slopes vary from <br /> <br /> <br />about 110 feet per mile in the mountains to about six feet per mile <br /> <br /> <br />near Holly. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />TwO Butte Creek, a south bank tributary of the Arkansas <br /> <br /> <br />River entering opposite Holly, drains about 900 square miles of plains. <br /> <br /> <br />wild Horse Creek, a smaller north-bank tributary which enters the <br /> <br /> <br />Arkansas River at Holly, drains about 210 square miles. The drainage <br /> <br /> <br />area contributing to flooding at Holly comprises all or part of nine <br /> <br /> <br />counties. This is all below John Martin Reservoir: The contributing <br /> <br /> <br />area between the reservoir and Holly is about 5,508 square miles, <br /> <br /> <br />including the wild Horse and Two Butte Creeks drainage area. This <br /> <br /> <br />area is sparsely covered with vegetatior engendered by the semiarid <br /> <br /> <br />climate. <br /> <br />App. 4 <br />3 <br />