WSP02879

• File Number: 8147
• Description: Arkansas River Basin - Gunnison-Arkansas Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 4/5/1949
• Author: DOI-BOR
• Title: Gunnison-Arkansas Project - Report of the Regional Director - Original
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

OtllG56

GENERAL DESCmPTION OF THE ARFA

P~Vsica1 fe~tures

Located in the southern half of Colorado. the entire Gunnison-

Arkansas Project ~ea encompasses over 25 percent of the State's area

and could easily contain the States of Connecticut, Dela~,are,Massachu.-

setts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. ~he Eastern Slope project area

includes all or parte of 18 counties on both sides of the Arkansas River.
Siz of those countins along the main stem of the river contain nearly

75 percent of the irrigated land and wouJ.d benefi t directly from the

imported water. The remainillg 12 counties are either in the headwaters

or adjacent to the main stem counties. The Eastern Slope project area

contains 26,150 square miles in a 340-mile by 170-mlle irrilgalarly-

shaped block.

The Arkansas River rises h1&~ above timberline on the Eastern

Slope of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains near Leadville, at e1evatione

of 10,500 feet to 14,400 feet. The river flows through the mountains

in a southerly direction to a point juet beyond Salida, where it turns

eastward into a canyon, flows through the deop, scenic Royal Gorge, and

emerges into the foothills 128 miles below its headwaters. The river

entere the gently rolling hi&~ plains region at Pueblo and continues

its easterly course to the Colorado-Kansas boundary where it leaves

the project area at elevation 3,350 feet. Numerous streams add to the

flow of principal tributaries of the Arkansas River. The largest are

typical steep mountain torrents. Others, located for the most part in

the foothills and high plains region, are intermittent, flood-producing

streams which are also heavy sediment carriers.

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