The Holly chieftain., 1924-05-29
POWER PROJECTS
ON ARKANSAS r.
Manuscript Report by Geological!
Survey Says Nineteen Projects
Are Possible

Nineteen power projects are i'bS-
.ib'e on Arkansas River in Colo |
ado. according to Il report prepaI-
tl by engineers OF the DeUnrtment
of the Interior Geological Survey.
These projects viii represent q
total potential power of 4iO0Jt
horsepower for 80 per cent Of the
time and 2l,G00 horsepower for 9JI
per cent of the time.
The use Of the water for power
however, is secondary to its use 10.
irrigation. The total adiudicate1
and decreed water rights in three
irrigation districts below Canon
CITY amount to six times the naaI.
annual flow at Canon City, but a.
the storage reservoirs for irrigation
are in the lower part of the river
the natural flow in the upper part
is available for the generation OIL
electric power. The cost of develop.
ing power will be relatively high
because of the low heads and the
small flow and because the flow
can not be regulated for the gene
ration of power owing to the re
quirements for irrigation.
Six reservoir sites were found,
but owing to the high cost of con
struction only two are considered
feasible at present. One OF these
sites is on East Fork of Arkansas
River near Leadville, where a dam
100 feet high would create reser-
voir having a capacity of 10000 acre
oth sifa = Twin
Lakes where G Is foot dam would
create a reservoir having a capacl-
ty of 10000 acre-feet. The Twin
Lakes reservoir could supply water
for both power and irrigation.
Between Leadville and Buena
Vista there are three good power
sites, tie development. of which
would require three low diversion
dams and 12 miles Of conduit hav-I
ing capacity of EGO seccnd-ie"t.
Tha development OF these site
would make available 600 horse
power for 50 per cent OF the time
and 3Sn0 horsepower for 80 per
cent OF the time. Between BuenaI
Vista ana Salida there are four
powe. sites a dam is already built
at one of these sites and low dI-
version dam AT each of the Others
and IS miles of conduit OF $50
second-fect capacity would make
available a total of 1880 hOrscpoW-
er for 80 per cent Of the time and
$500 horse power for SO per cent Of
the time. Between Salida and Plea
sant0n there are three power sites,
whore three low diversion dams and
IS miles OF conduit Of 425 second
feet capacity would make available
1880 horsepower for 50 per cent OF
thc time and 1900 horsepower for
90 uor cent Of the time Between
Pleasauton and Canon Citv there
ave four power sites where four low
diversion dams ana nine miles OF
conduit of $50 se"Ond-icet capacity
would make available 1900 horse
porcr for 80 per cent OF the time
and j,461 hof> epoWcr for 30 per cent
of the time.
The cOnduits for all power pro
jects between Leadvillc ard Canon
City would be constructed mainly
in soft earth, except near Salida,
where mile of flume would be-
required.
A manuscript copy Of the report
which describes more fully the pow
er possibilities of Arkansas River
above Canon City. Colorado, may
be consulted at the office of the
Geological Survey Department
Building at Washington, D. C., o.
at the district office of the Survey
at Denver i03 Federal Building. A
copy of the report will be sent toI
other district offices of the GeOlo
gica Survey for consultation on
application to the Director. Geolo'
gjcal Survey. Washington, D. c.
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