1986-03-03_REPORT - C1981013 (4)

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Ciruela Canyon has a drainage area of 1745 acres with primary land uses of grazing and wildlife habitat. Cover in the canyon is primarily woodland with a herbacous valley bottom. There are two on-stream impoundments which catch surface flow for livestock watering. Two seeps were monitored (Appendix 4) which were not major contributors to stream flow. Two stations were monitored on Ciruela Canyon. CCS-1 is above the Golden Eagle Mine Discharge. Only one flow event of one gpm was observed during the year (Table 1-6 of Appendix 1). CCS-2 is located at the confluence with the Purgatoire River. Flow at this station during the year was the result of the Golden Eagle Mine Discharge. No flow was observed at the station during October sampling with the mine discharge flow being absorbed into the alluvium prior to reaching the station. Flow and water chemistry measured at the station (Table 1-7 of Appendix 1) changed with the installation of the new sediment cells at Station MDGE-1. These new ponds have reduced flow at the station (increased infiltration) allowing a more natural flow condition to be measured. Station SCF-1 is located in Santistevan Canyon approximately one-half mile from the Purgatoire River. The stream was determined to be perennial at the station as measured by the flume recorder. Drainage area of the canyon is 2181 acres comprised mostly of woodland. The canyon is in the process of being sub-divided into 35 acre ranchettes. There are currently four houses and a lodge with a swimming pool located in the upper drainage. These structures utilize water from wells and Trinidad City water. Waste disposal is by means of septic systems and drain fields which may supply additional water to the alluvial system. Three USGS springs have also been identified in the canyon and appear out of fractures between sandstones and shales which outcrop on the surface (Appendix 4). A portion of the canyon is also utilized as grazing land. Water quality was measured quarterly during 1985 (Table 1-8 of Appendix 1) with field parameter ranges and means presented in Table 1. Water chemistry of Santistevan Canyon is assumed to be representative of all side canyons in the area, having higher ionization and trace metal qualities than that of Purgatoire River water. Water of the canyon is considered a calcium-bicarbonate type. Flow of the stream was measured by a flume constructed in April, 1984. Of the 239 days on which flow was recorded, mean 24-hour discharge was 0.090 cfs or 65.1 ac-ft annually. The 1985 hydrograph for the station is presented in Figure 5 as 24-hour mean flow. Flows ranged from 0.014 to greater than 1.6 cfs (Table 1- 10 of Appendix 0. Figure 6 presents the typical storm water runoff hydrograph at the -17-