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<br />Unfortunately photographs taken are too dark because of poor lighting <br />under the dense vegetation in the narrow canyons. Several years ago <br />paleoflood investigation were made in a number of Rampart Range stream <br />channels north of Pountain Creek that are tributary to Monument Creek; <br />these results are also summarized here. <br /> <br />Onsite Paleoflood Investigations <br /> <br />Camo Creek <br />Camp Creek joins Pountain Creek at an elevation of about 6,1~~ <br />feet, however investigations started at the east road into Garden of <br />the Gods at an elevation of 6,350 feet. The drainage area here is <br />estimated (so noted if visually estimated from topographic maps) to be <br />1~ square miles. Most exposed steep slopes at this elevation and <br />lower have extensive rill and gully erosion indicating intense rain is <br />common. Scoured and unvegetated banks indicate a recent (within the <br />last 2 to 3 years) flow with a width of 15 feet and depth of 3 feet <br />indicating a recent peak discharge of about 45~ cubic feet per second. <br />Plood terraces from a maximum flood are about 10~ feet apart and their <br />tops are about 5 feet above the streambed suggesting a maximum peak <br />discharge of 5,~~~ cubic feet per second. <br />Upstream from Glen Eyrie, at an elevation 6.55~ feet, the channel <br />shows evidence of recent flooding as well as large boulder bars from <br />older floods. The channel contains many rounded and polished boulders <br />up to 2 feet in diameter that have been moved by floods. Plood debris <br />is lodged upstream from obstructions. There is no moss or lichen <br />growing within 3 feet of the streambed. This basin has gret potential <br />for detailed paleohydrologic investigation as it is virtually <br />,undisturbed and has unique paleoflood deposits (of the largests floods <br />in the study area). <br />About 1/4 mile upstream from Glen Eyrie, the canyon constricts to <br />about 3~ feet and the streambed is scoured from wall to wall. At an <br />elevation of 6,7~~ feet flood debris, tree scars, indicate a medium <br />flood (about 25 years years ago) of about 3 foot depth. The channel <br />width averages 3~ feet. Assuming a mean flood velocity of 1~ feet per <br />second, the flood discharge was about g~~ cubic feet per second. <br />At several locations, although most predominant at an elevation <br />of 6,75~ feet~ both banks have a 5~ foot long and 2~ foot wide flood <br />bars. The bar is covered with many large boulders and its top is <br />about 1~ feet above the bedrock streambed. The width of the channel <br />is 4~ feet. Assuming a mean flood velocity of 1~ feet per second, the <br />flood that deposited these sediments had a peak discharge of <br />approximately 4~~~ cubic feet per second. The boulders on the flood <br />bar were nearly completely covered with lichen and moss (as were the <br />bedrock valley walls above the top of the flood bar). There were <br />several large spruce trees (which generally start growing shortly <br />after the flood) with diameters of 4 feet growing on top of the flood <br />bars. It is estimated that these trees probably are 2~~ to 25~ years <br />old. There is no other higher flood deposits along the channel. <br />Because of the remoteness of this basin, time did not allow hiking up <br /> <br />~ <br />