<br />\)01940
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<br />tiles west of La Junta, or is withdrawn from the local alluvial aquifer, which is highly transmissive and capable of
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<br />yielding relatively large amounts of water to wells. The Fort Lyon Canal provides irrigation water for about 90,000
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<br />acres of agricultural land between La Junta and Lamar, about 60 miles downstream; the Fort Lyon Canal is the
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<br />principal source of water used for irrigation in the study area.
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<br />Tracts of agricultural land and many residences in the vicinity of La Junta may be affected by the water table
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<br />which, in places, is near the land surface. Effects include flooded basements and soggy, or water-logged, condi-
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<br />tions in agricultural fields that impair their suitability for agriculture. Conveyance Iosses,/\~~~ Fort ~<on Canal
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<br />and contributions from the Arkansas River are potential sources of recharge to the}~.ca~:;t(ilifer'~I1.~~~)
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<br />capable of affecting high water-table conditions. The duration and recurrence.ot ;r~j;;l;~'~l~e\I!d)~)I1(gh water-
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<br />lable have not been documented. ..j., /\.>' (C),o.~,)
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<br />The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the a,l6'rolld\>'W)\t~{~01!~ation Board, has
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<br />conducted a study of water-table conditions in the vicinity ofd;,1l:~ul!ta. Th~'~.g;;p),lso~'dfthe study generally was to:
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<br />. . Document the current (1999) water-table C~~diti.t~:O(>.).. <01::)>/
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<br />. Analyze several existing hydrologic record~ re:,se-6'if"the.relati~;tnportance of hydrologic
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<br />factors and their effect on local watyr-t~l~i~I/diYQ,~s)~oUJ4 be identified
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<br />This report presents the results of that study;).., <<:">" . (.<..., "OJ"
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<br />The study used data from 19~0{Q "~1I1'l1n'd.ifi~l\!ded the area between the Fort Lyon Canal and the Arkansas
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<br />River from the Fort Lyon Canal:.J\ea~gjt~eas(t6th~.~teto County line. In addition, and in exception, to contempo-
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<br />rary water-level measure~~~ts'tlla~ ~t~~':~~~fthe current status of the water table, the study was limited to
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<br />data that are mainla}l1fd.~~" co.~~f\€lr~&Y~~in or archived in a manner that is useful to analysis with computers.
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<br />CURRENT WATER~TABLE CONDITIONS
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<br />To document current water-table conditions, the water table was mapped in the spring of 1999. About 50
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<br />.ells were identified and water levels, or depths to water from a point where the land surface elevation could be
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<br />2
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