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<br />3 <br /> <br /> <br />001781 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />The Purgatoire River is a combination mountain and plains <br />stream having its origin on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo <br /> <br />range at the western border of Las Animas County, Colorado. It rises <br /> <br />at an elevation of slightly more than 13,000 feet above mean sea <br />level and drops to 6,000 feet at Trinidad, 40 miles below the head- <br />waters. About 30 miles further east, the Purgatoire River enters <br /> <br />a canyon which extends for about 60 miles and joins the Arkansas <br /> <br />River at the town of Las Animas, Colorado about 105 miles below <br />Trinidad. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Throughout its course many large tributaries Join the stream, <br />which drains 742 square miles above Trinidad and 2680 square miles <br />below. At the Sopris dam site, 5 miles west of Trinidad and just <br />below the mouth of Long's canyon, the drainage area is 642 square <br />miles, of which 8310 is above 7,000 feet and 2310 is above 9,000 feet <br />in elevation. In this area slopes are steep and rocky, and rapid <br />runoff results from torrential rains, which generally occur be- <br />tween the months of May and October. In general, floods last only a <br />few hours. Spr~ng flows result largely from melting snows in the high <br />mountain area. <br />Irrigation, which is practiced extensively within the water- <br />shed, is confined mainly to the valley immediately above Trinidad and <br />to the adjacent bench lands below. All of the normal flow is used <br />for irrigation purposes, and only excessive flood discharges pass <br /> <br />ditch headings unused. A channel reservoir is essential to regula- <br /> <br />tion of these flows. <br /> <br />. <br />