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nearly all the highway between Mt Morrison and Idledale ruined, is the toll up to date of one of the most devastating floods last Friday afternoon (July 7) ever to visit the Bear Creek watershed"" A cloudburst at about 1 o'clock in the neighbor of Idledah, sent a wall of water down Saw Mill Gulch leading to Bear Creek, and another raging torrent down Vernon Creek ,,,,The Vernon Creek waters reached a height of 15 feet '" in the narrow passage between the business houses, '" The highway up beautfful Bear Creek Canyon between Mt Morrison and Idledale is practically ruined," The above account was taken from the Jefferson County Republican and quoted in the United States Geological Survey Water Supply Paper No. 997 entitled "Floods in Colorado." The peak discharge at Morrison was 8,000 cfs on Bear Creek and 1,500 cfs on Mount Vernon Creek, Flood of 9 AU9ust 1934, The flood of 9 August 1934 in the Bear Creek basin was caused by cloudburst-type rainfall near Kittredge and at the head of Mount Vernon Creek, Six lives were lost and much property damage-resulted, It was reported that Mount Vernon Creek ran higher than the previous year and much of the canyon roadway was destroyed, Damage to Morrison was reduced because the Bear Creek peak flow passed through the town before the Mount Vernon Creek high water arrived. Flood of 2-3 Seotember 1938, On 2 September 19,18, hE'avy rains centered over the upper Mt Vernon Creek drainage basin which resulted in extensive flooding in the Bear Creek basin, A peak discharge estimated to be 9,000 cubic feet per second from a drainage area of 4,3 square miles occurred at the mouth of Cold Spring Gulch upstream from Morrison, Estimated discharges of Mount Vernon Creek at the mouth and 1,5 miles upstream from Morrison were 9,000 and 4,200 cubic feet per second, respectively, Six persons were drowned when trapped in their automobile on the hi!Jhway between Morrison and Kittredge, Downstream from the mouth of Cold Spring Gulch, damages were estimated at $451,700 based on 1938 price levels, Upstream residents on both Bear and Mount Vernon Creeks warned the town of Morrison of the coming high water, which probably averted loss of lite, Had the flood occurred at a later hour or had no warning beElIl given, it is believe that the residents of Morrison could not have escaped without considerable loss of life, Flood of 24 Auaust 1946, On 24 August 1946, a heavy rain near Idledale caused Bear Creek to overflow, A Morrison woman was swept from her stranded car and drowned, Flood of 9 Mav 1957, Flood flows resulting, from sustained rainfall over lower Bear Creek on 9 May caused considerable damage to a brid[le under construction at Wadsworth Avenue and to residenws in the area, High, sustained, within channel flows through Sheridan caused severe bank erosion and endangered homes bordering both banks, Urban d"mages for this flood were estimated at $20,000, Flood of 21 Auaust 1957, On the afternoon of 21 AU[Just 1957 thunderstorms occurred over trle Bear Creek basin, with heavy rain and Ilail beginning about 1 :00 p,rn, on the east side of Squaw Pass northwest of Evergreen, At most locations, the r"in stopped within an hour, Peak discharges at Morrison were 1 ,000 cfs on Mount Vernon Creek at 2:30 p,m. and 1 640 cfs on Bear Creek at 3:00 p,m, While most damages from Bear Creek occurred downstream of Morrison, Mount Vernon CreE>k left debris on thE> grounds of six or seven residence in Morrison, flooded a garage and a used car lot and broke a water main, State Highway 8 at Morrison was closed upon warning of the flood; later portions of the highway were flooded by both streams, Flood 23-26 July 1965, On 23 and 24 July 1965, heavy rains over the headwaters of Bear Creek Colorado Flood lIydrology Manual 4,6 DRAFr