WSP07730

• File Number: 8062
• Description: Federal Reserved Water Rights
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 1/1/2000
• Author: USGS
• Title: Analysis of the Magnitude and Frequency of Floods in Colorado - USGS - Water Resources Investigations Report 99-4190
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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of the Arkansas drainage basin above 9,000 ft on
the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains,
Elevations range from about 7,500 to 14,000 ft in
the region, The Continental Divide forms a topo-
graphic barrier between the mountain and Rio Grande
regions and between the Rio Grande and southwest
regions, The southwest region includes the San Juan
Mountains west of the Continental Divide to the
Colorado-Utah State line and south from the 7,500-ft
elevation along the north side of the Uncompahgre
Plateau, Elevations in the southwest region range
from about 5,000 ft near the Colorado-Utah State
line to about 14,000 ft near the Continental Divide,
The Uncompahgre Plateau forms a major orographic
barrier to air masses moving north from the south
and southwest. Annual precipitation south of the
Uncompahgre Plateau ranges from about 12 to
25 inches and decreases to about 8 inches at lower

Estimate from Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data (1982)
Estimate from discharge record
Measured peak dlllcharges

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90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10
ANNUAL EXCEEDANCE PROBABILITY, IN PERCENT

Figure 3. Flood-frequency curve for lake Fork at Gateview, Colorado.

elevations north of the Uncompahgre Plateau in the
northwest region (U.S. Geological Survey, 1984). The
northwest region is located north of the 7,500-ft eleva-
tion along the north side of the Uncompahgre Plateau
and west of the mountain region to the Colorado-Utah
State line and the Colorado-Wyoming State line.
Elevations in the northwest region range from about
5,000 to 7,500 ft, with the exception of the 8,000- to
9.000-ft Roan Plateau in the central part of the region.
The western boundary of the plains region coincides
with a line along an elevation of 7,500 ft in the South
Platte River Basin. south to a transition zone near the
Chaffee-Fremont County line, to a line along an
elevation of about 9,000 ft in the Arkansas River
Basin. The region extends east to the State lines
of Kansas and Nebraska, south to the State lines
of New Mexico and Oklahoma. and north to the
Colorado-Wyoming State line.

6 Analysis 01 the Magnitude and Frequency of Floods in Colorado