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<br />. ^ <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />/Y'. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY <br />WATER RESOURCES DIVISION <br />COLORADO DISTRICT <br /> <br />Project Proposal- 03/14/1994 <br /> <br />A. 1TI1.E: <br /> <br />Estimation of streamflow losses and lraveltimes associated with regnlated streamflows <br />along the Purgatoire River from Trinidad Reservoir downstream 10 the mouth, southeastern <br />Colorado. <br /> <br />B. LOCATION: <br /> <br />The study area would be the Purgatoire River channel and the adjacent alluvial valley in the <br />160-mile reach from Trinidad Dam, near Trinidad, downstream 10 the mouth, near Las A nimH< <br />~n . <br /> <br />C. PROBLEM: <br /> <br />Trin;t!HrI Dam and Reservoir (fig. 1) were completed in Janl13IY 1977 by the U.s. Army <br />Corps ofEngineexs as a pan of the multi-purpose Trinidad Project. This project was developed to <br />(1) provide flood protection.for the city of Trinidad and the Purgatoire Rivervalley downstream <br />10 the mouth. (2) improve Icliability and availability of iIIigarlon'watcr for the iIIigable lands <br />downstream from Trinidad, and (3) provide warer-re1ated reaeational oppornmitieS. The <br />Purgatoire River Warer Conservancy District (PRWCD) was established 10 ~r1mini<ter and <br />manage the water supplies stored in Trinidad Reservoir (U.s. Bmean of Reclamation, 1964). <br /> <br />Regulation of streamflow by Trinidad Reservoir affects the qUantity and timing of water <br />available 10 downstream water users in the Purgatoire River between Trin;t!Ht! Dam and the <br />mouth. The reservoir releases also are subject to varying amounts ofloss. Study-of streamflow <br />losses along the Purgatoire River in the 1920's and 1950's indicated that losses generally are <br />about 30 10 60 p=t and sometimes are loo percent (U.S. Burean of Reclamation, 1961, <br />pp. 71-95). Another stUdy was completed in 1975 (Colorado SIatCEngineer, 1976; Qazi and <br />Krason, 1976) 10 evaluate losses for transportation of streamf10ws 10 the N"memile and Highland <br />diTChes near the mouth (fig. I). These studies, however, were made prior 10 completion of <br />Trinidad Dam and were not comprehensive or conclusive. To improve management of water <br />stored in and released from Trinidad Reservoir, 10 protect vested water rights, to fully implement <br />the conditions provided for in the Trinidad Project authorization, and to estimate downstream <br />timing and magnimde of flood flows, knowledge of streamflow losses and lraveltimes associated <br />with regulated streamflows along the Purgatoire River is needed. <br /> <br />APPENDIX A <br />