BOARD00021 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

I I HR. STAPLETON: MR. SPARKS: MR. SLIZESKI: MR. SPARKS: MR. SLIZESKI: and in the Denver area. The Denver flood was only a small flood actually, as far as water is concerned. There was only 46,000 second feet, or approximately that, that came down plum Creek. This was the smallest flood of all. Had a flood occurred in the Bear Creek and Plum Creek drainages simultaneously of the magni- tude that happened either on the Bijou or the Arlcansas, there would practically be no Denver left because, as Joe said, the peak on the Bijou was probably in the neighborhood of 250,000 to 300,000 second feet. contrast that with 46,000 on plum Creek. So there was rela- tively only a small amount of water in plum Creek. It could have easily been doubled or trebled and Denver would have been sub- stantially cut in two." "You might add if Cherry Creek Dam hadn't been there, there would have been 50,000 more second feet that would have pushed the water back to the State Capitol." "Yes, I think \'1e have estimates that the Cherry Creek flood was 58,000 second feet as compared with the 46,000 in plum Creek, some- thing in that magnitude. Hhen it hit John Martin Reservoir it was just a puddle. It didn't even occupy half the capacity of Cherry Creek Reservoir, yet we were getting calls all the time asking when the Cherry Creek Dam was going to go out." "Mr. Sparks, could I add one remark to that, please?" IIYes..1I "As General l'ialker pointed out in his MBIAC speech and as he is pointing out again to the Congressional committee that he is host- ing today in Denver, that if Cherry Creek Dam had not been in there that Denver would have suffered another $l30 million worth of damages at least, and this would have been downtown Denver."