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<br />accounts are however, available on the Big Thompson River, Past records of floods in the Loveland area show
<br />that overbank flows can last from "a few hours" to more than 1 <~ hours, The following accounts of flooding on
<br />the Big Thompson River are representative of typical floods for which information is available,
<br />
<br />Flood of 31 Mav-l June 1984, During widespread floods of May and June 1864, the lowlands of the Big
<br />Thompson River valley were flooded, settlers' cabins were washed away, and farmlands damaged, According
<br />to The Loveland Reporter of 7 June 1894, the flood of 31 May, 1 June of that year destroyed a darn near the
<br />canyon northwest of Loveland and the river was "fully half a mile wide",
<br />
<br />Flood of 7 Julv 1906, On 7 July 1906, a discharge of 6,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) was ,,"corded at the
<br />Drake station, A bridge near Drake was washed out. The flood peak lasted only a "few hours",
<br />
<br />Flood of 31 July 1919, The Loveland Daily Herald of 1 August 1919 described a cloudburst upstream of
<br />Drake on 31 July "a 10-foot wall of water swept down through the canyon." There was no mention of damage
<br />in the plains area,
<br />
<br />Flood of June 1921, General rains from 2 through 7 June measured a total of 5,29 inches at Longmont and
<br />3,02 inches at Fort Collins, Apparently, the mountain regions recHived less, as Estes Park reported 2,45 inches
<br />for the 6-day period wtth 1.2 inches received on 4 June, High water destroyed the recorder at the Drake Station
<br />so the time and rate of the peak flow was not recorded, The 13ig Thompson River overflowed its bank and The
<br />Lyons Recorder of 9 June of that year related "at a point near the river about half a mile from Loveland, a
<br />house, with its occupants, was washed from its foundation and carried nearly half a mile downstream, , ,II
<br />
<br />Flood of June 1923, Rains in the Big Thompson basin during 7 through 10 June resulted in a total of 2,49
<br />inches at Estes Park, 2.99 inches at Long's Peak, and 2,BO inches at Waterdale, The heaviest rain came on
<br />9 June at these stations with 1,45, 2.55, and 1,97 inches, respectively, Flows past Drake of 3,590 cfs was
<br />recorded at 6:00 p,m, on 9 June and again at 6:00 a,tn, on 10 June, Probably greater flows occurred between
<br />those hours, According to the Loveland Reporter-Herald of 9 June 1923: "At four o'clock (today) floodwaters
<br />from the Big Thompson '" had reached West First Street in the city '" the cement paving south of Loveland is
<br />covered with water to a depth of over a foot. The Estes Park road and the valley near the plaster mills are
<br />covered,"
<br />
<br />Flood of September 1938. On 2 September after heavy cloudbursts, the Big Thompson River valley was
<br />again flooded, The highway in the canyon was damaged and closed for repairs, Many bridges were destroyed
<br />and some homes were damaged, On 11 and 12 September, heavy rains again caused serious flash flooding
<br />in the canyon and the valley, Serious damages to the agricultural crops resulted in the plains area,
<br />
<br />Flood of June 1949, Heavy rains in the headwaters area of the Big Thompson River basin resulted in a peak
<br />discharge on 4 June of 3,330 cfs at the Drake station and 7,750 cfs at the Loveland station, Rainfall amounts
<br />on 4 June were 2,75 inches at Estes Park and 3,66 inches at Waterdale. Between 4 and 7 June, Estes Park
<br />received 3,92 inches of rainfall while Waterdale received [;,30 inches, Lowland areas west of Loveland were
<br />flooded and U,S. Highway 34 to Estes Park was damaged.
<br />
<br />Flood of August 1951, On 2 and 3 August 1951, intense rains over much of the basin caused severe
<br />flooding along the Big Thompson River from Buckhorn CreElk to the mouth. The peak discharge at Drake was
<br />3,530 cfs on 3 August. At the river mouth, the flow peaked at 6,100 cfs on 4 August, Estes Park received 1.31
<br />inches of rain during 2 and 3 August; Waterdale measured 4,64 inches, of which 4,18 inches fell on 2 August.
<br />On Buckhorn Creek, a darn containing about 1,000 acre-feE!t of stored water, failed at 10:00 p,rn, on 3 August.
<br />The flood crest mached Loveland at 11 :30 p,m, and the peak thElm was estimated to be 22,000 cfs, The river
<br />
<br />Colorado Flood
<br />Hydrology Manual
<br />
<br />4,15
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<br />DRAH
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