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been established by gold seekers in 1859. In 1917, Colorado City became the western portion of Colorado Springs. Two events h~ve significantly affected the development of Colorado Springs. In 1891, discovery of the incredibly rich Cripple Creek gold fields, roughly 20 miles west of the Colorado Springs area, brought wealth and an initial era (1891-1910) of explosive growth. Later in 1942, the establishment of Camp Carson (now Fort Carson) on the southern outskirts of Colorado Springs introduced a more stable economy. The economy of the area is based on the military, industry, tourism, and agriculture. The economy of the city is primarily based on tourism, skiing, light industry, commerce, farming, and ranching. Also, the economy benefits from the military institutions of the area which include Fort Carson Military Reservation, Peterson Field Air Force Base, the u.s. Air Force Academy, and the NORAD installation. Major tourist attractions of the area include the Garden of the Gods, Pike National Forest, Manitou Springs, the u.S. Air Force Academy, and Broadmoor Hotel. Interstate Highway 25, u.s. Highway 85-87, and State Highways 24, 115, 94 and 83 are located in the flood plain. Rail lines in the city are Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) Railroad; Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific (CRI&P) Railroad; and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (AT&SF) Railway Company. The growth rate of Colorado Springs was among the highest in the nation between 1970 and 1980. Development is continuing at a rela- tively high rate. Most of the residential development is along the northeastern and eastern corporate limits. Major housing develop- ments are planned for the Pine, Kettle, Cottonwood and Sand Creek basins. Colorado Springs is subject to flooding from Fountain and Monument Creeks and twelve of their tributaries. Fountain Creek originates approximately 5 miles northwest of Green Mountain Falls in Teller County. The headwaters are fed from glacial snowpacks and springs of the alpine canyons of Pikes Peak. Glacial deposits remain in many of the valleys above the 9,500-foot elevation. The aspen-, spruce-, and pine-covered narrow canyons are straight, steep-walled, and well-drained. The bedrock creek channel, strewn with boulders, averages 50 feet in width above the foothills. , The foothills are a narrow transition from the mountains to the high plains. The transitional area varies from rough parallel ridges to narrow, gently sloping mesas with pine, pinion, cedar, and oak cover. The stream emerges on the high plains in Colorado Springs. South of Colorado Springs, the watershed west of the creek is in the foothills, while the eastern watershed is primarily 4