Evaluation of Streamflow Traveltime and Streamflow Gains and Losses Along the Lower Purgatoire River, Southeastern Colorado, 1984-92
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Evaluation of Streamflow Traveltime and Streamflow Gains and Losses Along the Lower Purgatoire River, Southeastern Colorado, 1984-92 By RUSSELL G. DASH and PATRICK EDELMANN U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 96-4291 Prepared in cooperation with the PURGATOIRE RIVER WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT and the ARKANSAS RIVER COMPACT ADMINISTRATION Denver, Colorado 1997 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director The use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey. For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services Box 25046, Mail Stop 415 Box 25286 Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225-0286 Denver, CO 80225-0046 CONTENTS Abstract............................................................................................................^^ 1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose and Scope....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Description of the Study Area..................................................................................................................................... 2 Previous Studies.......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Generalized Study Approach....................................................................................................................................... 6 Method of Data Presentation....................................................................................................................................... 7 Streamflow Characteristics.................................................................................................................................................... 9 StreamflowTraveltimes..........................................................................^ 14 Reach 1........................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Reach 2....................................................»^ 15 Reach 3 .................................................................... 15 Streamflow Gains and Losses................................................................................................................................................ 16 Reach 1 ..................................................................... 17 Reach 2.....................................................................................................................^^ 17 Reach 3............................................................. 19 Confidence in Accuracy of Estimates.................................................................................................................................... 22 Summary................................................................................................................................................................................ 23 References Cited.................................................................................................................................................................... 24 FIGURES 1. Map showing locations of surface-water sites and river reaches used in the evaluation of Streamflow traveltime and Streamflow gains and losses in the study area..................................................................................... 3 2. Graph showing mean monthly precipitation and mean monthly air temperature near Hoehne, 1947-92................. 5 3. Diagram showing explanation of information for a boxplot...................................................................................... 9 4. Graph showing flow-duration curves for the streamflow-gaging stations, Purgatoire River below Trinidad Reservoir (site Ql) and Purgatoire River at Trinidad (site Q1A) comparing two different periods of Streamflow entering the study area, 1957-67 and 1984-92 ...................................................................... 10 5. Boxplots showing daily mean Streamflow for the streamflow-gaging stations (A) Purgatoire River at Trinidad (site Q1A), 1957-67; Purgatoire River below Trinidad Reservoir (site Ql), 1984-92; and (£) Purgatoire River near Las Animas (site Q4), 1957-67 and 1984-92................................................................... 11 6. Boxplots showing daily mean Streamflow by season for the streamflow-gaging stations Purgatoire River below Trinidad Reservoir (site Ql); Purgatoire River near Thatcher (site Q2); Purgatoire River at Rock Crossing near Timpas (site Q3); and Purgatoire River near Las Animas (site Q4), 1984-92 ...................... 13 7 9. Graphs showing: 7. Relation of traveltime to instantaneous peak Streamflow for two reaches of the study area, 1990-94............. 16 8. Example of (A) unadjusted hydrographs and (B) a traveltime-adjusted upstream hydrograph of daily mean Streamflow................................................................................................................................................ 18 9. Example of selection of streamflow-event periods for analysis of daily Streamflow gain and loss .................. 19 10. Boxplots showing daily mean Streamflow gains and losses and daily mean streamflow-event gains and losses for reach 2 of the study area, 1984-92............................................................................................................. 20 11. Boxplots showing daily mean Streamflow gains and losses and daily mean streamflow-event gains and losses for reach 3 of the study area, 1984-92............................................................................................................. 22 TABLES 1. Summary of river reaches, streamflow-gaging stations, river distances, drainage areas, and analysis periods used at selected surface-water sites along the lower Purgatoire River....................................................... 8 2. Percentage of time daily Streamflow occurred at selected tributary streams for the upper and middle reaches of the study area, 1957-67 and 1984-92.................................................................................................... 14 3. Statistical summary of daily Streamflow estimates of gains and losses and daily streamflow-event gains and losses for the middle and lower reaches of the study area, 1984-92...................................................... 21 CONTENTS III CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM Multiply By To obtain acre 0.004047 square kilometer acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter acre-foot per year (acre-ft/yr) 1,233 cubic meter per year cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second foot (ft) 0.3048 meter inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer n square mile (mi ) 2.59 square kilometer Degree Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degree Celsius (°C) by using the following equation: °C = 5/9(°F-32) Sea level: In this report, "sea level" refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD of 1929) a geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the United States and Canada, formerly called Sea Level Datum of 1929. IV CONTENTS Evaluation of Streamflow Traveltime and Streamflow Gains and Losses along the Lower Purgatoire River, Southeastern Colorado, 1984-92 By Russell G. Dash and Patrick Edelmann Abstract 40.1 miles ranged from about 11 to about 47 hours, and in the lower reach of the river, Traveltime and gains and losses within a traveltime for the 58.5 miles ranged from about stream are important basic characteristics of streamflow. The lower Purgatoire River flows 6 to about 61 hours. Traveltime in the river more than 160 river miles from Trinidad to the reaches generally increased as streamflow Arkansas River near Las Animas. A better decreased, but also varied for a specific stream- knowledge of streamflow traveltime and stream- flow in both reaches. flow gains and losses along the lower Purgatoire Streamflow gains and losses were River would enable more informed management estimated using daily streamflow data at the decisions about the availability of water supplies upstream and downstream sites, available for irrigation use in southeastern Colorado. tributary inflow data, and daily diversion data. In 1994-95, the U.S. Geological Survey, in Differences between surface-water inflows and cooperation with the Purgatoire River Water surface-water outflows in a reach determined Conservancy District and the Arkansas River the quantity of water gained or lost. In the Compact Administration, evaluated streamflow most upstream reach of the river near Trinidad, traveltime and estimated streamflow gains and difficulties in establishing streamflow travel- losses using historical surface-water records. times prevented the estimation of streamflow Traveltime analyses were used along gains