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Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army

Temporal and Spatial Variations in Precipitation, Streamflow, Suspended-Sediment Loads and Yields, and Land-Condition Trend Analysis at the U.S. Army Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, Las Animas County, Colorado, 1983 through 2007

By M.R. Stevens, J.A. Dupree, and J.M. Kuzmiak

Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5111 PDF (3.86 MB) Abstract In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army, began an assessment of the spatial and temporal variations in precipitation, streamflow, suspended-sediment loads and yields, changes in land condition, effects of the tributaries on the Purgatoire River and the possible relation of effects from military training to hydrology and land conditions that have occurred at Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) from 1983 through 2007. Data were collected for precipitation (19 stations) and streamflow and sediment load (5 tributary and 2 main-stem Purgatoire River stations) during 1983 through 2007 for various time periods. The five tributary stations were Van Bremer Arroyo near Model, Taylor Arroyo below Rock Crossing, Lockwood Canyon Creek near Thatcher, Red Rock Canyon Creek at the mouth, and Bent Canyon Creek at the mouth. In addition, data were collected at two Purgatoire River stations: Purgatoire River near Thatcher and Purgatoire River at Rock Crossing.

Version 1.0 Posted July 2008 Report PDF (3.86 MB) Plate PDF (8.54 MB)

Stevens, M.R., Dupree, J.A., and Kuzmiak, J.M., 2008, Temporal and spatial variations in precipitation, streamflow, suspended-sediment loads and yields, and land-condition trend analysis at the U.S. Army Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, Las Animas County, Colorado, 1983 through 2007: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5111, 47 p.

Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Purpose and Scope

Description of Study Area and Military Training Activities

Methods

Data Collection

Data Analysis

Precipitation

Definition of Terms

Variations in Annual and Monthly Precipitation

Variations in Daily and Storm Precipitation

Temporal Trends

Monthly Precipitation

Storm-Total Precipitation for All Storms

Storm-Total Precipitation for Runoff-Producing Storms

Spatial Variations

Monthly Precipitation

Storm-Total Precipitation

Streamflow

Definition of Terms

Variations in Annual and Monthly Streamflow

Variations in Daily and Storm-Total Streamflows

Temporal Variation

Monthly Streamflow

Storm-Total Streamflow

Spatial Variation

Monthly Streamflow

Storm-Total Streamflow

Contribution of Tributary Streamflow to the Purgatoire River

Suspended-Sediment Load and Yield

Definition of Terms

Variations in Annual and Monthly Sediment Load

Variations in Daily and Storm-Total Suspended-Sediment Loads

Temporal Variations

Annual Sediment Load

Monthly Sediment Load

Storm-Total Sediment Load

Spatial Variations

Monthly Sediment Yield

Storm-Total Sediment Yield

Land-Condition Trend Analysis

Land Disturbance

Ground-Cover Measurements

Bare-Ground Measurements

Other Land-Condition Trend Analysis Metrics

Comparison of Land-Condition Trend Analysis Metrics to Hydrologic and Military Training Data

Summary

Acknowledgments

References Cited

Appendixes