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<br />o~1999 <br /> <br />water released into tributaries by ditches at thei r terminus should <br /> <br /> <br />be made. When ditches use operational water in this fashion, accurate <br /> <br /> <br />measurements of the water so used should be made. <br /> <br /> <br />The only long term tributary records of discharge avai lable for <br /> <br /> <br />tributaries below Pueblo are those on the Purgatoire River. Even here <br /> <br /> <br />the records are not continuous, and correlations of the records at <br /> <br /> <br />Highland Dam near Las Animas were required to estimate the Purgatoire <br /> <br /> <br />River inflow into the Arkansas River proper. Based upon this approach, <br /> <br />the average annual discharge for the 1925-1966 period was 91,100 acre- <br /> <br /> <br />feet; the maximum was 395,150 in 1942, and the minimum was 12,700 acre- <br /> <br /> <br />feet in 1964. A comparis~ of the Purgatoire River flows with other <br /> <br /> <br />measured tributary inflow for concurrent periods of time revealed that <br /> <br /> <br />this river contributes more water than any other tributary. Monthly <br /> <br /> <br />and annual flows for the Arkansas River at Canon City and at the state <br /> <br /> <br />line and for the Purgatoire River near Las Animas are given in Table <br /> <br /> <br />Nos. 2, 3, and 4, respectively. <br /> <br />An attempt was made to obtain a correlation between the runoff of <br /> <br /> <br />the Purgatoire River near Las Animas and precipitation at Rocky Ford <br /> <br /> <br />and Lamar by single mass diagrams. Comparison of the curves showed a <br /> <br />general trend, but it was too general to be of any value in the studies. <br /> <br />CANAL DIVERSIONS <br /> <br />Canal diversions on a monthly basis were tabulated and computer- <br /> <br />ized for the 1927-1966 period for all canals from Pueblo to the state <br /> <br /> <br />line. Although the Bessemer Canal diverts above Pueblo, it was included <br /> <br /> <br />in the analysis. A tabulation of these diversions is contained in the <br /> <br /> <br />appendix, and a print of the Catl in Canal diversions is contained in <br /> <br /> <br />Table No.5, as an example of the data developed for the other canals. <br /> <br /> <br />Average annual diversions by the Catlin Canal were 80,600 acre-feet for <br /> <br /> <br />the 40 year study period, contrasted to maximum diversions of 112,100 acre- <br /> <br /> <br />feet in 1962 and minimum diversions of 38,100 acre-feet in 1954. These <br /> <br /> <br />values pinpoint the need for a regulated supply, especially when winter diver- <br /> <br />sions are taken into account. Winter diversions, i.e., November to March, <br /> <br /> <br />inclusive, by the Catlin Canal averaged 20,440 acre-feet per year. <br /> <br /> <br />The study period of 1927-1966 was selected because it covers COn- <br /> <br /> <br />ditions on the river prior to and after the construction of John Martin <br /> <br /> <br />Dam and Reservoir, as well as the period of heavy ground water pumping, <br /> <br />- 16 - <br />