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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />18 <br /> <br />North Dry Gulch from Harlan Street to Pierce Street <br /> <br /> <br />JEheets 17, 18) <br /> <br /> <br />In this reach, the channel of North Dry Gulch appears only <br /> <br /> <br />briefly enough to make it apparent that, at one time, a natural <br /> <br /> <br />waterway did exist. The gulch has been replaced by culverts, <br /> <br /> <br />usually about 36" in size, and has been filled so that the <br /> <br /> <br />drainage patterns are very obscure. The predicted flooding <br /> <br /> <br />is quite wide and relatively shallow. The flood plain contains <br /> <br /> <br />nUmerous residential, commercial, and light industrial buildings, <br /> <br /> <br />some of which could be extensively damaged. There are no specific <br /> <br /> <br />or unique obstructions to the drainage patterns in the reach; <br /> <br /> <br />the main characteristic is that of an obscured channel over <br /> <br /> <br />which the flood must flow between buildings and along streets. <br /> <br />the gulch may have reached or crossed the present alignment of <br /> <br /> <br />Colfax between Balsam and Yarrow, but the construction of Colfax <br /> <br /> <br />and the associated development have forced the flow to divide <br /> <br /> <br />in this area. The flow which proceeds to the south of Colfax <br /> <br /> <br />has been named Colfax Gulch for the purpose of discussion in <br /> <br /> <br />this report. North Dry Gulch is regarded as that flow which <br /> <br /> <br />stays north of Colfax Avenue. <br /> <br />Because Colfax Avenue causes a division of flow, the computa- <br /> <br /> <br />tion of the magnitude of flooding on each side of the street <br /> <br /> <br />is extremely difficult. <br /> <br />Extensive flooding of Colfax between Pierce and Lamar Streets <br /> <br /> <br />has occurred in recent storms. The flooded area along Colfax <br /> <br /> <br />illustrates that substantial disruption of traffic flow will <br /> <br /> <br />occur in addition to damage to the structures. <br /> <br />The flooding which reaches North Dry Gulch at Dover Street is <br /> <br /> <br />composed of two distinct flows. The first is that generated <br /> <br /> <br />by natural runoff in the basin above Dover, which consists of <br /> <br /> <br />very low density residences with numerous small drainage courses <br /> <br /> <br />and streets without curbs and gutters. It is anticipated that <br /> <br /> <br />full development of this basin may include higher density resi- <br /> <br /> <br />dences, improved street grading, and correction of the numerous <br /> <br /> <br />small drainage problems. As a result, an increase in this por- <br /> <br /> <br />tion of the flow is anticipated in the future. The second flow <br /> <br /> <br />reaching Dover Street is that diverted out of Dry Gulch at Colfax <br /> <br /> <br />and Garrison. This flow proceeds easterly on Colfax and results <br /> <br /> <br />in a relatively large initial flow at the upstream end of the <br /> <br /> <br />study. <br /> <br />North Dry Gulch from Pierce Street to Dover Street <br /> <br /> <br />(Sheets l5, 16, 1 7) <br /> <br /> <br />Between Pierce Street and Dover Street, the upstream end of <br /> <br /> <br />the North Dry Gulch analysis, the flood course is very difficult <br /> <br /> <br />to define. One short length of channel is visible between <br /> <br /> <br />Wadsworth and Vance, which indicates the historic existence of a <br /> <br /> <br />channel between Colfax and l6th Avenue. It appears likely that <br />