Laserfiche WebLink
<br />somewhat slow growth in the past, by the year 2000, the Town of Gypsum had a <br />population of 3,645-10 times that of 1970 (Reference 4). The corporate limits of <br />Gypsum encompass an area of approximately 350 acres. Gypsum is a residential area; <br />most of the labor force works at various power/energy industries outside the town or on <br />nearby farms. <br /> <br />The Town of Minturn is located in eastern Eagle County and is completely surrounded <br />by unincorporated areas of the county. The town is a small mountain community <br />situated approximately 5 miles southwest of the Town of VaiL The 2000 population <br />was 1,068 (Reference 4). Minturn is principally a residential community for persons <br />who work in the mines in the surrounding area. <br /> <br />The Town of Red Cliff is in southeastern Eagle County, approximately 9 miles south of <br />the Town of Minturn and 21 miles north of the City of Leadville along US24. It is <br />located along the upper Eagle River and is surrounded by steep mountains. The Sawatch <br />Mountain range is to the west, and the southern Gore range is to the east. The Town of <br />Red Cliff is completely surrounded by unincorporated areas of Eagle County. A small <br />community, the town population was 289 in 2000 (Reference 4). <br /> <br />The Town of Vail is located in eastern Eagle County along 1-70, approximately <br />100 miles west of the City of Denver. The Town of Vail is between the rugged Gore <br />Range to the north and the southern Gore Range to the south and is bordered completely <br />by unincorporated areas of Eagle County. The Town of Vail has a population of <br />approximately 4,500 permanent residents. Because the Town of Vail is an <br />internationally recognized ski resort area, the Town of Vail's population can swell to <br />24,000 during the winter months. Because of the seasonal population increase, many <br />townspeople are employed by private businesses that accommodate tourists. The Town <br />of Vail and Vail Associates, Inc., also employ many people in the town and surrounding <br />area. <br /> <br />2.3 Principal Flood Problems <br /> <br />Flooding in Eagle County usually occurs during the months of May through August, with <br />the most frequent flooding occurring in June (Reference 9). Floods may be caused by <br />rainfall or snowmelt, alone or in combination (Reference 9). Analysis of the records <br />(Reference 9) indicates that snowmelt is the primary cause of most annual flood peaks. <br />However, for smaller drainage basins, rainfall-induced flood peaks are likely to be higher <br />than the snowmelt flood peaks (Reference 10). Damage has occurred in many forms, <br />including bridges, railroad tracks, and roads washed out; mudslides and other debris <br />covering roads; farmlands damaged; water systems fouled; buildings sustaining water <br />damage; and power outages (Reference 11). <br /> <br />For the Roaring Fork and Fryingpan Rivers, major floods result from rapid melting of <br />mountain snowpack from late May through early July. These snowmelt floods are <br />characterized by moderate peak flows, large volumes, long durations, and marked diurnal <br />fluctuations in flow. Rainfall on melting snow may accelerate the rate of the snowmelt, <br />thus augmenting floodflows. <br /> <br />12 <br />