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<br />of the dam cut off water supply to approximately 3,000 acres of land. The basin <br />suffered a severe recession and many families moved from the area. <br /> <br />On September 9 and 10, 1933, a flood was caused by heavy rain on the divide <br />separating Cherry Creek from Plum Creek, Big Dry, and Little Dry Creeks, which <br />enter the South Platte River between the mouth of the South Platte River canyon <br />and Denver. In an investigation of this flood, the office of the State Engineer <br />made a slope-area determination of the flow in Plum Creek and found it to be <br />5,500 cfs. <br /> <br />A large storm front moved into southeastern Colorado on August 25, 1945, and <br />extended over the Cherry Creek Basin. Unofficial rainfall amounts varied from 2 <br />to 5 inches. Severe flooding occurred along Cherry Creek in the Franktown- <br />Parker area. The gaging station at Melvin recorded a peak discharge of 107,000 <br />cfs. Total damages were estimated at $200,000. <br /> <br />High intensity, heavy rains occurred at three locations in the Plum Creek Basin on <br />the afternoon of June 16, 1965. Over 12 inches fell near Castle Rock and over 14 <br />inches fell near Palmer Lake and near Larkspur in approximately 4 hours. East <br />and West Plum Creeks crested at 126,000 cfs and 38,000 cfs, respectively, during <br />the afternoon. The unit run off above the site on East Plum Creek just <br />downstream from Castle Rock was 1,170 cfs per square mile for a drainage area <br />of approximately 108 square miles. Western tributaries of West Plum Creek and <br />all tributaries of Plum Creek downstream of Sedalia were out of the high rainfall <br />areas and contributed little or no runoff during the flood. <br /> <br />The combination of steep slopes, sand and gravel streambed, and relatively open <br />and straight reaches of Plum Creek near Louviers was conductive to high <br />velocities and standing waves. The computed mean velocities in seven cross <br />sections surveyed after the flood were near 15 cfs, which implies maximum <br />velocities of approximately 20 to 22 cfs. The amount of scour and fill, the size of <br />the cottonwood trees that were uprooted or bent over, and the matted condition of <br />the debris on trees confirmed the computed velocities. <br /> <br />The damage in rural areas of Plum Creek basin was extensive. The heavy runoff <br />deposited all kinds of debris, from sand to huge boulders and trees, on fields and <br />pastures. Road embankments were severely eroded and bridges on County, State <br />and Interstate highways were destroyed. Large-cut banks, particularly along East <br />Plum Creek, were left after land had been washed away. Much of the Town of <br />Castle Rock was inundated, and service to approximately 100 telephones in town <br />was disrupted. Seven homes, a church, the Grand Hall, and the lower part of the <br />main street in Sedalia vanished during the flood. <br /> <br />The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad between Denver and Palmer Lake, <br />built in 1871 -72, had never been damaged as extensively as it was in 1965. Five <br />bridges, many culverts, and about 4 miles of track were damaged. The track was <br />out of service for approximately 6 weeks after the flood. Repairs to the facilities <br />cost $468,000. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway also follows the <br />South Platte River and Plum Creek, and repairs, primarily to one bridge, cost <br /> <br />15 <br />