FLOOD10136

• Designation Number: 114
• County: Chaffee
• Community: Poncha Springs
• Stream Name: South Arkansas River/Poncha Creek
• Basin: Arkansas
• Title: FIR - South Arkansas River/Poncha Creek, Poncha Springs, CO
• Date: 3/1/1978
• Designation Date: 11/1/1978
• Prepared By: WRC, Inc.
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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officials and private citizens provided valuable information that was
essential to the understanding of the local flooding problems in the
study area.

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The efforts of all those who contributed to this study are greatly
appreciated,

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* Colorado Water Conservation Board
Mr. Larry F. Lang
Mr. William P. Stanton
- Mr. Randy Seaholm
* Chaffee County
the Late Daniel L. Everett
- Mr. Robert E. Stotler
* Poncha Springs

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the Honorable Florence Lindbloom, Mayor
Mrs. Sara Neal Dougherty, Town Clerk

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* Mr. Lawrence Bender - Local Resident, Trustee

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* Mr. Thomas French - Local Resident, Trustee

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* Colorado State Highway Department

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* U.S. Soil Conservation Service

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* U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather
Service

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* Mountain Mail Newspaper - Mrs. Ethel Purdam

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* Salida Public Library

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CHAPTER II

STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION

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Location

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The study area is located in the vicinity of the Town of Poncha

Springs, approximately three miles west of Salida, Colorado. The stream

reaches of the South Arkansas River and Poncha Creek which were studied

are located in Sections 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, Township 49 North, Range 78

West. The drainage area, contributing to the stream reaches studied,

lies exclusively in the South Arkansas River Basin.

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Drainage Basins

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The South Arkansas River drainage basin above the downstream limit
of the study reach encompasses approximately 135 square miles. Poncha
Creek has a drainage area of approximately 60 square miles. The two
drainage areas lie side by side on the east flank of the Continental
Divide.

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The elevation of the confluence of the South Arkansas River and

Poncha Creek is 7438 feet above the mean sea level (MSL). The highest

point in the South Arkansas River Basin is 14,229 feet above the MSL at

Mt. Shavano. The highest point in the Poncha Creek drainage basin is

13,955 feet above the MSL, the top of Mt. Ouray.

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The South Arkansas River and Poncha Creek basins comprise the south-

ern portion of the Upper Arkansas River Valley 1n Chaffee and Lake Counties.

The valley occupies a narrow and long trough that was formed mainly by

faulting. The main topographic features of this valley are the two great

parallel north-south mountain ranges that border the valley, the Sawatch

Range on the west and the Mosquito Range on the east. The Mosquito Range

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