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<br />Flume Entrance <br />The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) designed and constructed a masonry flume in <br />1950 to control flooding from Willow Creek through downtown Creede. The Army Corps <br />designed the flume to convey a 100-year flood through Creede. However, FEMA's floodplain <br />map still shows portions of downtown Creede to be within the 100-year floodplain. Because of <br />this, many residences and businesses within downtown Creede must still purchase flood <br />insurance. If the flume system can actually safely handle a 100-year flood, then removal of <br />Creede from the mapped FEMA floodplain would remove an economic burden from area <br />businesses. If, on the other hand, there is an actual risk of flooding, then the historical and <br />economic value of Creede should warrant efforts to mitigate the risk. Therefore, quantifying the <br />actual risk of flooding due to the flume is of great interest to area residents. <br /> <br />One concern is the capacity of the flume itself. The Natural Resources Conservation Service <br />(NRCS) recently determined that the flume has sufficient hydraulic capacity to convey a 100- <br />year flood if free from debris or ice blockage (Yochum 2002). It is uncertain if the deteriorating <br />conditions of the masonry flume could currently resist a large flood from a structural perspective. <br />The scope of the current study is restricted to areas upstream of the flume entrance, and further <br />evaluation of the flume itself is left to the NRCS. <br /> <br />However, in addition to the flume itself being able to convey a flood, the entrance to the flume <br />must also be sufficient such that flood flows will be captured and directed into the flume. The <br />Army Corps constructed two levees to direct water to the flume entrance. Undersized levees <br />would allow high stream flows at levels lower than the capacity of the flume to flow over or <br />around the flume levees, flow down the road to the west of the flume (County Road 503 to <br />Creede or Loma Avenues), and cause flooding and property damage within Creede. <br /> <br />Mining Museum Area <br />The wider canyon area just upstream of the flume may be susceptible to flooding during high <br />flow events. The Creede Mining Museum, Community Center, and the Creede Fire Department <br />tunnel are located in this area on the west side of the Bachelor Loop Road (County Road 503). <br />Currently, Willow Creek is contained by small push up levees to the east side of the canyon. <br />Prior to development by man, Willow Creek probably meandered more freely across the canyon <br />floor, and the areas occupied by these structures were probably within its active floodplain. <br />These structures are located in relatively low topographic areas compared to the channel bed, and <br />may be subject to overflow from the Creek. The small push-up levees may not have sufficient <br />structural integrity to resist large flood flows. <br /> <br />The channel and floodplain in this area has been highly disturbed by mInIng activities, <br />development of roadways and parking lots, and relocation of the channel. As the stretch has a <br />lower slope than the channel upstream, the area is historically a depositional area and several <br />constructed basins now require periodic removal of sediments. Natural vegetation has not been <br />able to regrow in the coarse alluvial sediments. Many visitors pass through this area, and the <br />reach could be an attractive recreational resource if habitat and stream function were restored. <br /> <br />1-6 <br />