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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />0'750 <br /> <br />25. Flood of 1886. - The 1886 flood at Trinidad is believed <br /> <br />to have occurred in July and apparently was the same flood that also <br /> <br />occurred in that month at the mouth of the river. The United states <br /> <br />Iveather Bureau precipitation station at Trinidad was not in operation <br /> <br />at that time. <br /> <br />~ <br />However, the following account is given in the United <br /> <br />States Geological Survey water-Supply Paper 487, page 37, 1922: <br /> <br />,~ * Jl:Il. flood of considerable magnitude in the <br />Arkansas and Purgatoire near Las Animas occurred <br />July 20-25, 1886. The rainfall at Las Animas l~as <br />3.36 inches during July 24 and 25, and 4.66 inches <br />for tfle month, or more than twice the normal. -,,- -'} * <br /> <br />Data indicated that the crest of this flood was 2.8 feet lower than that <br /> <br />of 1904. It is probable that the peak discharge for this flood was <br /> <br /> <br />about 25,000 cubic feet per second at Trinidad. <br /> <br />26. Floods of record. ~ During the period of reliable records, <br /> <br />major floods occurred in Purgatoire River at Trinidad on September 30, <br /> <br />1904; July 22, 1925; April 23, 1942; and August 2, 1950.' Descriptions <br /> <br />of the two largest floods, and the fourth largest which is the most <br /> <br />recent, are included in subsequent paragraphs. <br /> <br />27. Flood of September 1904. <br /> <br />This is the first major flood <br /> <br />occurrence for which reliable records are available and when compared <br /> <br />to those of historical record, it is the largest flood at Trinidad since <br /> <br />1866. The synoptic situation which produced this storm is typical of <br /> <br />the stable wave type with a quasi-stationary front. Precipition and <br /> <br />runoff during this storm clearly indicate the controlling orographic <br /> <br />features governing the watershed above Trinidad. For further meteoro- <br /> <br />logical details refer to paragraph 19. The precipitation concentrated <br /> <br />on the watershed of Long canyon and the greater part of the flood <br /> <br />originated in that water course. Raton canyon was also a heavy con- <br /> <br />tributor. The maximum recorded storm rainfall, 5.95 inches, was at <br /> <br />Trinidad; of this amount 1.92 and 3.13 inches were recorded on <br /> <br />September 28 and 29, respectively. <br /> <br />23 <br /> <br />APPENDIX B <br /> <br />~, '-, ~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />