WSP07833

• File Number: 8142.600.30.A
• Description: Other Studies - Purgatoire River Transit Loss Study
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 6/1/1953
• Author: Corps of Engineers
• Title: Review Report on Survey for Flood Control - Volume I
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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increase in these diversions is anticipated. Direct flow water rights

on the Purgatoire River below Trinidad total 1,251.5 cubic feet per

second.. Of these rights 1,168 cubic feet per second are held by irri~

gators in the project area. In the administration Of the Purgatoire

River by the State of Colorado, the irrigators in the project area are

s.e.ldom reC).uired to pass water downstream to satisfy prior rights on the

river. Also, most of the decreed rights assigned to ditches serving the

project a.~a antedate those on the Arkansas River helow the mouth of the

Purgatoire River, and demands to pass water to the Arkansas River to

slltl!.sfy the few prior rights are infrequent~

60. The only storage facilities serving the project area have

decreed rights totaling 20,345 acre-feet annually.

61. Arkansl1-s River Compact. - Under proper authority and with

subsequent consent of the ,Congress and approval by the President, the

States of Colorado and Kansas, in consideration of interstate comity,

negotiated a ~ompact concerning the waters of the Arkansas River. This

Compact became effective on May 31, 1949.. Article I of the Compact

states:

The major purposes of this Compact are to:

A. Settle existing disputes and remove causes of future
controversy betW'een the States of Colorado and Kansas, and
between citipens of one and citizens of the other State, con-
cerning the waters of the Arkansas River and their control,
conservation and utilization for irrigation and other bene~
ficial purposes.
B. Equitably divide and apportion between the States of
Colorado and Kansas the waters of the Arkansas River and their
utilization as well as the benefits o.x'ising from the construc-
tion, operation and maintenance by the United States of
John Martin Reservoir Project for water conservation purposes.

Article III '.states in part:

A. The word "Stateline" means the geographical boundary
line between Colorado and Kansas.
B. The term ",laters of the Arkansas River" means the
waters originating in t~e natural drainage basin of the
Arkansas River, inclurli.ng it.s tributaries, upstream from the
Stateline, and excludin,.; waters br01:ght into the Arkansas
River basin from other river ba8j~so

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