Farmers, infrastructure affected by heavy rain, flooding in Otero County

OTERO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - Flooding from heavy rain and the Arkansas River closed some roads Wednesday and left some crops flooded in their fields, as residents prepared for the possibility of more rain Thursday.

U.S. 50 in La Junta was closed for several hours because of flooding under a railroad overpass, stranding several vehicles; one disabled car remained at the scene Thursday but the highway has since reopened.

Sections of U.S. 50 and Highway 194 in neighboring Bent County were also temporarily closed due to flooding but have since reopened.

Authorities said that the proximity to the river means that flooding can happen suddenly and be widespread, but usually recedes quickly.

"I'll have more of us out on patrol , if it rains again, so that we can focus on the entire county," said Otero County Sheriff Shawn Mobley. "For a while Wednesday night, we were tied up with doing traffic control in La Junta. So, we're hoping to have more people out there and have more of a wider coverage."

High water also is affecting cantaloupes, watermelons and alfalfa in farmers' fields, making it difficult for them to harvest the first fruits of the season in time for the first roadside market sales this weekend.

One farmer said that the wet weather has put the industry a week or two behind but still expects a good year for crops.

"Well, we don't go harvest when it's this wet," said Gail Knapp, who has operated an 800-acre farm with her husband in Rocky Ford for more than 40 years. "We wait a few days and wait for it to dry out. The timing of the rain delays our harvest a little bit when we get this much. It's just impossible to mud-out melons and vegetables when we've had this much rain."

The Knapps grow cantaloupes, watermelons, tomatoes and peppers, along with alfalfa and field corn for animals.

"The majority of the time, if the water doesn't stay on the crop for a long period of time, they'll come back," she explained. "It may damage or kill some of the plants, but normally there's some salvageable melons."

Farmers also said that the rainy weather is ruining hay that provides food for livestock.

"If farmers can't spread out the high stacks of hay bales before they get wet, they can spontaneously combust and result in a fire," Knapp said.

Moblely confirmed that firefighters responded to one such blaze Wednesday.