WSP11430

• File Number: 8449
• Description: Platte River Projects
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 5/1/1975
• Author: USACOE
• Title: Needs Identification and Supplement to the Plan of Study, Water and Related Land Resources Management Study
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Completion of this study element would incur minimal cost

because the system network for the model has been developed under

the flood control portion of the Corps' Urban Study Program. It

is anticipated that 12 stations would be selected for modeling and

that 5 storm events per station would be used.

GILPIN-CLEAR CREEK-DOUGLAS COUNTIES STUDY

The five county area under DRCOG Jurisdiction has been desig-

nated a 208 Areawide Planning Region. This designation did not

include 3 counties which are directly affected by the Denver metro-

politan area. These counties are Gilpin and Clear Creek to the

west and Douglas to the ~outh. Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties

are entirely mountainous. They contain the headwaters of Bear,

Clear, and Boulder Creeks. Douglas County is a combination of

plains and mountainous areas and is drained by the South Platte

River, Plum Creek, and Cherry Creek.

The topography of Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties is typified

by narrow mountain valleys with development concentrated along the

highways in these valleys. Mining activities in the Clear Creek

drainage have turned much of Clear Creek into a biologically dead

stream. The study element for these two counties will examine min-

ing pollution. An accurate inventory of past and present activi-

ties, including the type of mines, location, extent, and present

status of each mine, will be made. The pollution caused by each of

these operations will be evaluated. This evaluation will include

surface drainage and its pollution potential plus an estimated time

for natural recovery.

Recent increases in gold prices have spurred
activity. Old mine tailings are being reworked to

renewed mining
recover gold that

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