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<br />001939
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<br />Current water-table conditions, historical water
<br />levels, and factors that affect them in the
<br />vicinity of La Junta, Colorado, 1999
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<br />By Clifford R. Bossong
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<br />Abstract / 'l/~<>\\ <>",'
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<br />The water table is sometimes near the land surface in the vicinity of!-a J~fii(: CoIqnl1\Q,,~adlaY
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<br />impair the use of agricultural and personal property. A water-table mappreRa~ed(ol("tQ~ aIly}>i)lI aquifer
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<br />in the vicinity of La Junta, indicated that, in the spring of 19991~~~+J6~~~t:~rld'{he Arkansas
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<br />River provided recharge to the aquifer. A depth to water llJilP pib~ed fpr,t~~l;~~';;~a and period indi-
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<br />cated that the water table is relatively shallow (Ies~JI;(~]b"Il\et)i!lc(~~'1~?,p'(;'rcent of the area studied.
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<br />Available historical water-level records visua!ly ih~ic~ted''that~at~f'I9''eIs tended to increase
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<br />throughout the study area during the past<3S)~~~8~t6;<\,,~~g~~)sion~naIysis quantifies this relation. The
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<br />available records do not address sl)Q~?leRh:~n1i~~~~'~\'.::f
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<br />Several factors that af(~~! \ir~~te't;1eV~.lsi(l the study area were identified, and some simple relations
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<br />between the factors and(ch\lng~ji1'w,aiede,\\els ~Iso were identified on the basis of coincidence of
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<br />changes in the tiJ:Jl.e'~s.el'i~~,,~ofl!l~ 1i!~t){,~~refords. Some complex relations involving the cumulative
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<br />effects of hyd;Qlrigicfa-cI0rs,aI~~)r{ identified; however, existing records could not define some of
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<br />these reIatiOnsljs defiQillv,e\y'.a~ the simple relations.
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<br />INTRODUCTION
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<br />La Junta is located in southeastern Colorado on the Arkansas River (fig. I). Much of the land near
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<br />the Arkansas River in the vicinity of La Junta is irrigated for agricultural purposes. Water used for irri-
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<br />gation either is taken from the Fort Lyon Canal, which diverts water from the Arkansas River a few
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