WSP02675

• File Number: 8112.600
• Description: Arkansas White Red Basins Interagency Committee - AWRBIAC -- Reports
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 10/1/1975
• Title: Technical Memorandum on Problem Identification in the Arkansas-White-Red Region -- 1975 Water Assessment
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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WRC ReKion: State: ASA No. lProblem
Arkansas White-Red Colorado 1102 ~_No.
2
Problem Title: Time Period:
1975-1985 X
Arkansas River and Tributaties - Pueblo t.o Kansas 1985-2000 X
State Line
Water Issues (Fresh water, Groundw8 ter)
0l-G6 Insufficient stream flow for aquatic life during irrigation sesson.
( Issue related to 02-Al, 02-Bl)
02-AI-A2 Fresh surface supplies are insufficient to meet l'f&I and irrigation de-
02-Bl mends for water.
03-Al Fresh surface water quality seriously degraded by irrigation return flows.
03-Bl Selin1 ty in Arkansas River varies from 365 ppm at Pueblo to ),600 ppm
near the Kansas State Hne. (issue related to 22-B1)
04-A2 During low flow periods waste wat.er below municipalities may be below
standards_
07-G2, 6 DrBwdown of irrigation B torage reservoirs make them unsu i tab Ie for
recreation uses.
22-A2 High salinity content in rhe ground water of the valley alluvium of all
22-Bl streams due to leaching effect of irrigation.
20-81 Ground water levels fall ing in aquifers [n the High Plains Region of the
prob lem area due to excessive pumping for irrigation.
Related Land Issues:
30-A2 Floods have caused heavy damages in"Lamar, La Junta, Los Animas and other
communities In the problem area. (Problem related to 31-81, 35-A1)
31-Bl Extremely high floods in the reach have inundated aa much as 93,400 acres
(1965) of valley bo t tom land, damaging farm lands. irrigation diversion
s truc tures and canals.
32-Bl Estimated there are a total of 242,900 acres In the prob lem area that are
inadequately drained. 141,500 acrea are uplandS.
34-81 Approximately 856,000 acres are sub j ec t to gully and sheet erosion.
(issue re la ted to 35-81, 31-B1)
35-B1 Hea.vily laden sediment loads in the floods deposit sediment on crop and
pssture lands, and in irrigation canals.
37-Bl There are over 25,000 acres of phreatophyte growth along the river bottoms
37-G6 in the problem ares I consuming an estimated 65,900 acre-feet annually.
Management of phreatophytes would sa&vage valuable water for other uses,
however, it would adversely affect fish and wildlife habitat.
38-A2 In the absence of al ternate sources of water supply, municipalities are
purchasing irrigation water rights and converting them to M.s.I uses,
thereby tak ing productive farm land out of production. Irrigated farm
being lost to urban sprawl.
Institutional Issues: ~all issues are related)
52-Bl Arkansas River Compact, 1948, between States of Colorado and Kansas and
the Un i ted States should revise water management procedures of John
Martin Reservoir for better utilization of the wa ter.
54-A2. Federal-State program needed to protect existing resources.
Bl,C4.
5,6,7
F inanc in~ and Repaymen t Issues: (all issues are related)
60-F3,4,5 Federal and State financ ia 1 assistance for increased recrea t ion areas
61-G4, 5 ,6.8 and fl)r the protection and enhancewent of the env1.r:mment.
Other (including interrelationships among issues) :
Description of Problem Area:
The problem area [, that portion of the Arkansas River drainage system in Colorado
east of Pueblo. Except for the headwaters of the tributaries originating in the
mountains south of Pueblo, the area ia a plains region. The precipitation in the
plains area varies from 11.67 inches annually at Pueb 10 to 16.05 inches near the
Kansas State line. The population of the area ia about 117,200. The economy l,
agr icul ture ly oriented. There are 314,100 acres of land irriBated by surface and
ground water.
Reference Sourcea: See State of Colorado reference Nos. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, B, and 9.

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