FLOOD00540 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Flood of 1942, The flood of April-May on the South Platte River and tributary streams was the result of snowmelt runoff being augmented by heavy precip~ation during the last half of April and the first part of May, The mountain area above Chatfield Dam produced most of the volume tllat passed the Denver gage and, although peak values during this flood were not high in comparison to other floods, the volume of runoff was excessive, with a 30-day rLlnoff of 265,000 acre-feet flowing past the Denver gage and a 60-day runoff of 395,000 acre-feet Four separate flood crests occurred at the Denver gage with the maximum peak of 10,200 cubic feet per second recorded on 25 April. Peak flows in excess of 8,500 cubic feet per second were, however, mcorded on 19,23 and 30 April. The minimum flow at Denver during the 24 day period-from 19 April to 13 May was about 4,500 cubic feet per second, Flood of 1948. Heavy rainfall over a large area east of Denver caused flooding in late May and early June on the South Platte River between Sand Cmek and Fort Lupton, Several approaches to county bridges were washed out as well as flooding of some agricultural land, Flood of 1949. Heavy rainfall over a melting snowpack caused flooding on the South Platte River from I'll id-May to late June from Littleton, Colorado to North Platte, Nebraska. Considerable damage was incurred by homes, farm buildings, and crops along that reach of the river. Flood of 1957, Intense local rains over It,e Sand Creek basin caused flooding on the South Platte River for a distance downstream from Sand Creek, High rural damages were incurred in some locations. Flood of 1965, Heavy to torrential rainfall over large portions of the South Platte River basin created extensive flooding along the South Platte River. Heavy rainfall occurred over portions of the northern sections of the South Platte River basin on the 14th and 15th of June, As the storm system moved southward, torrential rainfall of the period extended over some 3,000 square miles of the South Platte 'River basin, including the Plum Creek, Cherry Creek, and Sand and Toll Gate Creek watersheds in the Denver region, and the Bijou Creek, Kiowa Creek, Commanche Creek, Bader Creek, and Beaver Creek watersheds to the east Flooding occurred on the South Platte River from Plum Creek downstream to North Platte, Nebraska as a result of this rainfall. Flood of 1969, Heavy rains during this period star1ed on the afternoon of 4 May and continued with only intermittent breaks until 8 May, The storm covered an area along and near the E,astern slopes of the mountains and extended into portions of the high plains, The heaviest amounts were centered 25 miles southwest of Denver and extended in a band along the foothills northward to near Estes Park, The weather station at Morrison reported a total storm rainfall of 11.27 inches and a maximum daily amount of 5,77 inches, General flooding resulted along the South Platte River, Flood of 1973, Snowmelt runoff from the lower mountain area of the-South Platte Rive I' basin began about the middle of April. Rainfall amounting to as rnuch as 6 inches, which was the major causative factor of the flooding in the South Platte River basin, began on 5 May, Sharp increases in flow as a result of the rainfall runoff were recorded at all gaging stations along the South Platte Fliver from Littleton to the Colorado-Nebraska State line, The rainfall runoff was augmented by mountain snowmelt runoff which was also increasing during this period, The result was general flooding throughout the South Platte River basin; flooding was characterized by high, sharp hydrograph peaks from the rainfall runoff followed by a slow recession because of the continuing mountain snowmelt runoff, Bankfull discharges were experienced alon!) portions of the main stem of the South Platte River for most of the month of May and on into June, Major South Platte River tributary streams that Colorado Flood Hydrology Manual 4.3 DRAFT