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<br />caused minor flooding, throughout its length. Most (jamages occurred downstream of Morrison, In
<br />metropolitan Denver, reports indicate that 25 were evacuated, 15 basements and a tourist court were
<br />flooded, and several bridges were damaged, The peak'discharge on Bear Creek at Morrison was
<br />1,030 cfs on 25 July,
<br />
<br />Flood of 4-8 May 1969, Heavy rains from 4 through 8 May 1969 resulted in flooding in the Bear
<br />Creek basin with the most damage downstream from Morrison, The weather station at Morrison
<br />reported a total storm rainfall of 11,27 incheS, with a maximum daily amount of 5,77 inches, Unofficial
<br />rainfallllmounts in the basin varied from 6,7 inches to 11,8 inches during the storm pl,riod of 5 days,
<br />The pellk flows for Bear Creek at Morrison was 2,340 cfs on 7 May,
<br />
<br />4,1.5 CHERRY CREEK
<br />
<br />Flood History, Because of channel improvements and construction of Cherry Creek Dam, many
<br />of the flood problems that once loomed large along that stream have been eliminated, Runoff from
<br />the upper basin is completely controlled by the dam and flood control releases am limited to the
<br />capacity of the downstream channel. During the evening and night of 16 June 1965, the Cherry Creek
<br />Reservoir impounded a flood which had a peak inflow of 58,000 c.f,s, The flood stored in the reservoir
<br />saved an estimated $130 million in flood dan'lages downstream from the dam on the Cherry Creek and
<br />South Platte River flood plains, However, there was considerable damage upstream from the dam,
<br />Prior to the existence of the dam, major floods occurred on Cherry Creek in 1964, 1876, 1885, 1912,
<br />1933, and 1935, The shortest interval between major floods was two years, with an average interval
<br />of fourteen years, The flood of 14 July 1912 resulted from a violent rainstorm lasting two hours, during
<br />which rainfall of 2,08 inches was recorded, The pattern of this storm caused a cumulative effect on
<br />runoff which was near the maximum for a storm of this intensity,
<br />
<br />Flood of Spring 1844. According to legend a major flood occurred on the South Platte River during
<br />the spring of 1844. An article in the 22 June 1864 Denver Commonwealth indicated that Major James
<br />Bridger in relating his travel experiences told of a flood "extending from the bluff on Cherry Creek to
<br />the extreme bluff on the South Platte River," He indicated he was compelled to wait 9 days before
<br />being able to cross the river and continue his journey. The apparent high volume associated with this
<br />event would support the references to deep snow and continuous rain recorded in Major James
<br />Bridger's diary,
<br />
<br />Flood of Julv 1912, In 1912, the only Weather Bureau Station in the Cherry Creek basin was located
<br />in Denver, Records indicate that 2,08 inches of rain occurred between Franktown and a point about
<br />5 miles north of Denver, with the center loceted near Parker, The rainfall started at about ,j p,m, and
<br />continued until approximately 5 p,m, Cherry Creek crested at about 10 p.m, and had a peak discharge
<br />of 25,000 cubic feet per second in Denver. The Cherry Creek Flood Commission estimated that runoff
<br />occurred from an area of about 200 square miles, Flood damages in the reach between f'ranktown
<br />and the site of the existing Cherry Creek Dam and 'Reservoir totaled $554,000,
<br />
<br />Flood of Julv 1922, A severe storm centered over the Bayou Gulch basin, a tributary to Cherry
<br />Creek, during the afternoon of 28 July 1922, Heavy rainfall was reported to have occurred in an area
<br />bounded by lines 3 miles north of Parker, about 4 miles west of Cherry Creek, 1 mile south of
<br />Franktown, and by the Douglas County line on the east Unofficial rainfall amounts variEld from 1 inch
<br />
<br />Colorado Flood
<br />Hydrology Manual
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<br />47
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<br />DRAFT
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