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<br />of the City. The Riverside Park area has experienced repeated <br />flood danger as the erosion and undermining of protective levees <br />has necessitated extensive flood fighting and levee repair. <br />Several streets in that area, as well as along Rosevale Road west <br />of the river, have been flooded and traffic has been disrupted. On <br />farmland and ranges south and southwest of the ci ty, crops have <br />been lost and irrigation facilities have been seriously damaged. <br />Between Grand Junction and the northern county boundary near <br />DeBeque, Colorado River overflow has inundated ranches and <br />farmland; isolated people and cattle; damaged or destroyed <br />irrigation facilities; damaged orchards by uprooting trees, eroding <br />soil, and depositing debris; inundated roads; and disrupted <br />traffics. <br /> <br />Gunnison River floods have caused damage mainly in the reach just <br />above its mouth, where ranches and farms have been inundated, <br />buildings and cattle have been slated, and people have been <br />stranded for varying periods of time. The abutments of the bridge <br />south of Grand Junction and a portion of the south bank upstream <br />from the bridge have been seriously eroded. <br /> <br />Dolores River floods has isolated people and livestock, damaged or <br />destroyed growing crops, and damaged crop and pastureland with <br />deposits of silt and debris. Flood fighting has been required to <br />prevent traffic disruption. <br /> <br />Flooding is known to have occurred on many of the lesser streams in <br />the county, but data on contributing precipitations, peak flows, <br />and damage are not available. <br /> <br />Historical and descriptive data on floods and flooding in Mesa <br />County were based on Floodplain Information and Flood Hazard <br />Information reports prepared by the COE in 1973 and 1976 (Reference <br />4, 5, 6, and 7). Expected level s of flooding on the Colorado <br />River, Leach Creek, and West Creek are shown in Figures 2, 3, and <br />4, respectively. <br /> <br />The principal cause of flooding on Plateau Creek and Buzzard Creek <br />is a rapidly melting heavy snowpack during May, June, and July. <br />Rainfall on melting snow may hasten the melting process and <br />increase floodflows. A major f load had occurred on Plateau Creek <br />in 1922. Based on the record from a stream gage on Plateau Creek <br />located approximately 6 miles east of Collbran, this flood had an <br />estimated discharge of 3,080 cfs which corresponds to a frequency <br />1n excess of 100 years. <br /> <br />On Grove Creek, thunderstorms are the principal cause of flooding. <br />Beaver dams have been built on Grove Creek, and these may aggravate <br />flood problems by blocking culverts or creating backwater. <br /> <br />Major flooding along Roan Creek is caused by rapid melting of the <br />mountain snowpack during late May to early July, as well as summer <br />rainstorms. There is also the potential for flooding as a result <br />of rainfall occurring on melting snow. The most recent damaging <br /> <br />13 <br />