Laserfiche WebLink
<br />- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />- 6 - <br /> <br />N <br />N <br /><:0 <br />en <br /> <br />ations 2,100 second feet, average stream flow April through September, 117 <br /> <br /> <br />s~cond feet; for Huerfano and Cucharas Rivers - appropriations 2,000 second <br /> <br />feet, average April through September stream flow 108 second feet; on Apishapa <br /> <br />River - appropriations 348 second feet, average irrigation period stream flow <br /> <br />22 second feet; and for Purgatoire River - appropriations about 3,000 second <br /> <br /> <br />feet, average stream flow at Trinidad, 155 second feet for the same months. <br /> <br />.lhile these avernge stream flows do not represent total wnter supplies at the <br /> <br />head of all irrigation on the tributaries, they are flows measured at gaging <br /> <br />stations within the areas and are indicative of existing conditions. The re- <br /> <br />spective approx:L'1lilte irrigated acreages on these tributaries, which receive at <br /> <br />least partially adequate supplies of water during most seasons, are: <br /> <br /> <br />Fountain Creek, 20,000 acres; Huerfano and Cucharas Rivers; 45,000 acres; <br /> <br />Apishapa River, 4,000 acres; and Purgatoire River, 31,000 acres. Between <br /> <br />Fountain Creek and the State line, tributaries entering the river from the <br /> <br />north furnish little dependable flcwl and lands irrigated from them are minor <br /> <br />in extent. <br /> <br />In the case of both main stream and tributary ditches the early season <br /> <br />water supplies of May and June are usually sufficient to meet the demands of <br /> <br />many of the junior rights for short periods at least. However, as the flows <br /> <br />decline in the late summer months, only the most senior rights can be supplied. <br /> <br />The urgent need for supplemental late season water was recognized after <br /> <br />the favorable climatic conditions and comparatively high runoff of the decade of <br /> <br /> <br />1880 to. 1890 were followed by a series of drouth seasons. Construction of re- <br /> <br />servoirs was undertaken to store, for late season use, the winter and early <br /> <br />spring flows or flood runoff which under direct flow diversion might otherwise <br /> <br /> <br />be unusable or wasted. lUmost 90 percent of the adjudicated storage rights have <br />