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<br />26.3 inches, with 17.5 inches occurring during the winter months (November-April). <br />Near Basalt, the average annual precipitation is approximately 17.2 inches, with <br />8.7 inches occurring during the winter months. Data on precipitation from the National <br />Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicate that in the Aspen area, the 100-year, <br />24-hour storm would produce 2.6 inches of precipitation (Reference 6). <br /> <br />Temperature and precipitation vary greatly from location to location and season to <br />season within the drainage basin and are important variables. in flooding conditions. <br />Above-normal spring temperatures can cause early and heavy flows on the Roaring Fork <br />River. Records from the Aspen weather station indicate that the month of July has the <br />highest normal total precipitation for the year at 2.06 inches. The month of March <br />follows closely with 1.98 inches of total precipitation. The first month with a normal <br />spring temperature above the freezing point is April, with a mean monthly temperature of <br />38.60F (Reference 6). <br /> <br />Floodflows on the Roaring Fork River typically result from rapid melting of the <br />mountain snowpack during the period from May to early July.. Snowmelt runoff may <br />occasionally be augmented by rain. The snowmelt runoff is characterized by sustained <br />periods of high flow and marked diurnal fluctuation. Examination of meteorological and <br />climatological conditions and precipitation and stream flow records show that summer <br />cloudbursts are not a great flood threat on these streams (Reference 6). <br /> <br />Along the Eagle River, Brush Creek, and Eby Creek in the Town of Eagle, flooding <br />normally occurs from May through September. Floods can occur from runoff, snowmelt, <br />intense rainstorms and cloudbursts, or rainstorms augmented by snowmelt. Past floods <br />in the Town of Eagle along both the Eagle River and Brush Creek occurred in June 1947, <br />June 1957, June 1959, August 1965, August 1968, and May 1970. All these floods <br />caused minor damage and erosion problems. There were no recorded or estimated <br />discharges for the town (Reference 13). <br /> <br />Along the Eagle River and Gypsum Creek in the Town of Gypsum, flooding usually <br />occurs from May through September. Floodwater can occur as a result of snowmelt, <br />intense rainstorms and cloudbursts, or rainstorms augmented by snowmelt. Past floods <br />in Gypsum, along the Eagle River and Gypsum Creek, occurred in <br />August-September 1963 and in June 1965. Both these floods caused minor damage <br />(Reference 13). No recorded discharges are available for these floods. <br /> <br />On June 7, 1957, the Eagle River flooded from a combination of snowmelt and rait1fall <br />runoff. The 1957 flood had a discharge of 1,500 cfs, which is approximately equivalent <br />to an 8-year flood event (Reference 13). From June 5 to June 26; 1969, flooding <br />occurred along the Eagle River. The 1969 flood had a discharge of 800 cfs, which is <br />approximately equivalent to a 2-year flood event. Power outages were caused by walls <br />of water flowing down the Eagle River. Six inches of snow fell at the Town of Vail <br />(Reference 13). On May 21, 1970, excessive snowmelt runoff caused water seepage <br />under the foundation of the domestic water storage tank in the Town of Minturn. Efforts <br />were made to save the foundation from washing out (Reference 13). <br /> <br />Along the Eagle River and Turkey Creek in the Town of Red Cliff, flooding normally <br />occurs from May through July, and is usually the result of snowmelt. No floods have <br />been documented in the Town of Red Cliff along Turkey Creek or the Eagle River. <br />However, when snowmelt flooding occurred elsewhere along the Eagle River, as it did in <br /> <br />14 <br />