FLOOD09852

• County: Alamosa
• Community: Alamosa
• Stream Name: Rio Grande River
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Title: Report on Governor's Emergency Funding 1987 Rio Grande Flooding
• Date: 7/15/1987
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: CWCB
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Documentation Report

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on June 16. It has been estimated that if the irrigators had
not taken water through the ditches. the peak flows at Alamosa
would have been in excess of 6.500 cfs. A 6.500 cfs flood peak
at Alamosa would have outflanked the levee system and caused
millions of dollars worth of damage plus loss of revenue and
jobs during the period of recovery. The use of irrigation
ditches in the San Luis Valley is a valuable asset in flood
control benefit to the Valley communities,

3.6 DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES (OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER)

The Alamosa Office of the Division of Water Resources has
provided valuable support in assisting ditch companies in times
of flood to alleviate all possible damage to structures in the
San Luis Valley. This office has played a lead role in community
involvement during times of flood emergency in the Alamosa area,

An important link in the overall flood forecasting for Alamosa
City and County is the Colorado satellite-linked water resources
monitoring system.

This system has enabled local and state government real-time
water resources data on a continuous basis from key gaging
stations across the State of Colorado. The computerized system
can be accessed by computer terminal from any location via phone
communications, These data and appropriate applications
software provide for more effective water rights administration.
computerized hydrologic records development. flood warning. and
water resources management,

3.7 U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

The Bureau of Reclamation reported their agency assisted the
City of Alamosa by providing a high volume pump with a tractor
to pump down the wet wells during the high water of 1987. The
Bureau also assisted the Rio Grande Water Conservation District
in Cleaning out a section of drain ditches near the Closed Basin
Project, The purpose of their assistance was twofold:

L To assist in the flood fight endeavol"s of the irrigators to
release excess irrigation water to lakes east of Alamosa:

2,

Self-preservation. as the irrigators'
east near the Closed Basin Project
Bureau's salvage wells.

water moving to
was endangering

the
the

The Bureau sent three employees, an excavator hoe. a front end
loader. and a Cat grader to assist in opening drain laterals
from Highway 17 to Bachelor lake near the Closed Basin Project.
This process sucessfully enabled the Bureau to relieve a salvage
well associated with its project.

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