WSP04784

• File Number: 8103
• Description: Arkansas river Basin Legislation
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 9/1/1968
• Author: W W Wheeler and Asso
• Title: Water Legislation Investigations for the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado Volume II Comprehensive Report September 1968
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

O~1997

Colorado Power Company's ditch, and subtracting transmountain diversions

imported by the Independence Pass Project which belongs to the Twin

Lakes Reservoir and Canal Company. Likewise, the Arkansas River flows

at the state line were reduced to a Common denominator for the 1924-

1935 period by adding the flows of Wild Horse Creek and the Holly Drain

to the recorded flows of the Arkansas River gaging station at Holly.

During the 1936-1938 period, the Holly Drain flows were added to the

recorded flows at the Holly gaging station. In the 1939-1950 period,

identical corrections were made as for the 1924-1935 period. From

1951-1966, recorded flows of the Arkansas River near Cool idge, Kansas,

were used, to which the diversions by the Frontier Ditch were added.

Analysis of the average annual flows at Canon City for the 1924-

1966 period by use of a single mass diagram of flows versus time showed

the variations in flows at this station were such that it may be con-

cluded that the station can be used as an index inflow station. This

mass diagram necessarily had to be developed on a small scale computer

sheet and does not permit the determination of minor variations in flow.

For this reason, ten-year running averages were plotted by use of the

computer which indicate that there might be a slight increase in the

Canon City flows since heavy pumping began in the Arkansas Basin below

Pueblo. It is impossible to arrive at conclusive results because of

the short term periods which had to be used, these being the result of

the storage of water in John Martin Reservoir beginning in 1942 and

the heavy pumping from wells beginning in the early 1950's. These over-

lapping man-made changes in the regimen of flow preclude concrete

conclusions being made from existing data.

The single mass diagram of the state line flows show; an average of

223,600 acre-feet of outflow on an annual basis for the study period.

This diagram revealed, as expected, three distinct conditions during

the 43-year study period. Between 1924 and 1941, inclusive, the out-

flow at the state line averaged 194,250 acre-feet per year. The out-

flows during 1942 and 1965 were eliminated from the next two conditions

as these years were exceedinglY high runoff years and their use would

di stort the overall resul ts.

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