WSP04328

• File Number: 8126.200
• Description: Arkansas River Coordinating Committee - Bylaws - Rules - Guidelines
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 1/1/1985
• Author: P.O. Abbott
• Title: Description of Water-Systems Operations in the Arkansas River Basin - Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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DESCRIPTION OF WATER-SYSTEMS OPERATIONS IN THE
ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN, COLORADO

By P.O. Abbott

ABSTRACT

To facilitate a current (1985) project modeling the hydrology of the
Arkansas River basin in Colorado, a description of the regulation of water in
tne basin is necessar~. .The geographic and climatic setting of the Arkansas
River basin that necessitates the use, reuse, importation, and storage of
water are discussed. The history of water-resource development in tne basin,
leading to the present complex of water systems, also is discussed. Munici-
pal, irrigation, industrial, and multipurpose water systems are described.
System descriptions are illustrated with schematic line drawings, and supple-
mented with physical data tables for the lakes, tunnels, conduits, and canals
comprising the various systems. Copies of criteria, under which certain of
the water systems operate, are included.

INTRODUCTION

The water in the Arkansas River basin is a valuable resource that trans-
forms fertile but dry lands into productive agricultural areas. Historically,
in this area, man used and reused available water, stored water in times of
more abundant supply for use in times of low streamflow, imported water from
nearby drainage basins where supply was greater and demand less, and utilized
the ground-water aquifer in the valley alluvium. A comprehensive surface-
water/ground-water model of the Arkansas River basin in Colorado currently
(1985) is being developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. To design this
model, the description of water-systems operations in the basin is essential.
The operations of the more complex systems in the valley are described here,
including municipal systems, irrigation systems, an industrial system, and
multipurpose systems.

Location of Study Area

The Arkansas River basin in Colorado generally is located between 370 and
390 latitude and l020 and l060 longitude, and contains approximately. the
southeast one-quarter of the State (fig. l). The drainage area, not including
the Cimarron River watershed, is 25,400 square miles. The Cimarron River
watershed, located in the extreme southeast corner of the State, is a part of
the Arkansas River basin not considered in this report. Locations mentioned
in the text and not found in other figures can be found on plate 1 or plate 2
in the pocket.

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