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-rrO ~JVU . C. Hydrology 1. General Characteristics The area encompassing the Fountain Valley Conduit lies in the southern El Paso County and northern Pueblo County. Although the lower end of the alinement is in the drainage of the main stem of the Arkansas River, the major portion lies within the Fountain Creek drainage basin. Streams crossed by the aline- ment are the north tributaries of the Arkansas River or the west tributaries of Fountain Creek. Most of these streams have their headwaters in the dry tablelands where the plains butt up against the Pikes Peak mass, but a few of the larger streams at the upper end of the alinement rise high on the mountain slopes. The former streams are intermittent and the latter, while dry for some portion of the year historically, would be perennial were the flow not diverted for agricultural use near the point where the stream flows out of the mopntains. A generalized annual water budget for that portion of the Fountain Creek Basin in which the conduit is located is as follows: water in--precipitation 82 percent, surface water inflow 17 percent, and ground water inflow 1 percent; water out--evapotranspiration 86 percent, surface water outflow 12 percent, and groundwater outflow 2 percent. (Livingston, 1976) . The Fountain Valley Conduit will cross Fountain Creek approximately two miles south of the center of Widefield, Colorado. The flow of Fountain Creek has been gaged at two sites in this vicinity. Streamflow records exist for the Fountain Creek near Fountain, Colorado, for the period October 1938 through September 1954. During that time the average discharge was 54.2 ft3/s. The maximum discharge recorded at the Fountain station was 22,100 ft3/s on May 28, 1940; the minimum was no flow on September 24 and 30, 1939. Drainage area above the station was 676 square miles. Streamflow records exist for Fountain Creek at Security, Colorado, for the period October 1964 to the present. During that time, the average discharge has been 57.8 ft3/s. The maximum discharge recorded at the Security station was 25,000 ft3/s on July 24, 1965; the minimum was 1.9 ft3/s recorded on March I, 1965. Drainage area above the Security station is 488 square miles. 111-7 .