FLOOD10704 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Peak Flow Flood Year Cubic Feet Der Second (cfs)l Date 1884 50,0002 July 2 1917 25,000 June 18 1920 35,700 May 23 1921 30,100 June 15 1928 21,400 May 3 1929 23,100 May 26 1933 19,000 June 2 1941 27,500 May 14 1942 21,900 May 27 1944 27,200 May 17 1952 23,300 May 6 1957 27,800 June 6 1984 25,500 June 7 1Flows measured at U.S. Geological Survey stream gage No. 09152500 at Grand Junction, Colorado, northwest of Delta County (Reference 5) 2This value obtained by estimation of flow on the Gunnison Ri ver with that of the Colorado River The earliest reference to a flood on the Uncompahgre River comes from the settlers who founded Delta in the early 1800s. At that time, an Indian squaw, Chipeta, wife of the famous Ute Chief Ouray, stated that within her lifetime of approximately 50 years, she had seen the Uncompahgre Valley at Delta "flooded from bluff to bluff" (Reference 5). Records show that, since the turn of the century, notable high flows occurred on the Uncompahgre River in 1921, 1927, 1938, 1941, 1944, 1947, 1957, 1973, and 1975. The largest known flood, estimated peak flow of 5,140 cfs as recorded at the Colona stream gage, occurred about mid-June 1921 as a result of snowmelt. Based on the results of this study, the 1921 flood is estimated to have been slightly larger than the IOO-year frequency flood. The only notable cloudburst flood of record occurred in July 1923. Peak flows of the larger historical floods on the Uncompahgre River are shown below (Reference 5). Flood Peak Flow (cfs) Peak flow (cfs) Year Delta Ga2e Date Colona Ga2e Date 1921 __1 __2 5,1403 June 13-14 1927 2,880 June 29 3,400 June 28 1938 __1 __2 3,390 June 22 1941 3,730 May 5 __1 __2 1944 3,340 May 16 __1 __2 1947 3,500 October 15 __1 __2 6