FLOOD10502 ‎(2)‎

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: State of Colorado - 2007 Flood Documentation Reports
• Date: 8/1/2007
• Prepared For: CWCB
• Prepared By: ICON Engineering
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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FLOOD DOCUMENTATION REPORT - CHAPTER 4

Denver, Colorado Flood of May 14,2007
Lakewood Gulch
(Denver City and County)

NOTE: This rainfall event is the subject of a study currently being prepared by Rice
Associates for the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District. At such time as the Rice
study is completed, it should be added to this document to supplement and/or replace the
following draft information.

On Monday, May 14,2007, intense
thunderstorm activity in the Denver Metro area
created localized flooding. This was a wide-
spread storm with total reported rainfall of up to
about 1-1/2-inches. Similarly to Goldsmith
Gulch (see previous chapter), Lakewood Gulch,
a west bank tributary to the South Platte River
in the central metro area experienced higher
than normal flows, with tragic results. On the
late afternoon of the 14th, Elsha Guel and her 2-
year old son, Jose Matthew Jauregui, Jr. were
walking along the lower Lakewood Gulch trail
system. Rain and hail forced them to seek
protection in the Decatur Road culvert crossing
of Lakewood Gulch. Rising flood waters
trapped the two in downstream end ofthe culvert. Ms. Guel's son, who was strapped into
a stroller was swept away and drowned, but rescue crews were able to pull Ms. Guel from
the gulch. The body of Jose Matthew Jauregui, Jr. was recovered on May 17 from the
South Platte River, at a point about 7-miles downstream of the Lakewood Gulch
confluence with the South Platte River.

Introduction

Figure 4.1 - Denver County Location in
the State of Colorado.
Map courtesy of the Colorado Herpetological
Society.

The Decatur Street structure is a duel concrete box culvert. Low flows normally are
confined to one cell, and the second cell (the invert of which is nearly at the same
elevation as the first cell) in dry weather allows pedestrian traffic to cross under Decatur
Street. The low flow cell and the pedestrian cell are separated by a low height retaining
wall that diverts the base flow into one cell, leaving the pedestrian cell dry most of the
time, that is, during non-rain days. The design of the structure is such that during higher
flow events, both cells would be flowing full. The crossing is not designed to
accommodate the full 1 DO-year event without overtopping the roadway.

ICON Engineering, Inc

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