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<br />of Colorado Springs, including excerpts from locally published news accounts,
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<br />Flood of July 1885, Produced by a waterspout,type storm that reportedly burst just north of the
<br />Colorado College in Colorado Springs, torrential rainfall resulted in initial flooding on the Monument Creek and
<br />Shooks Run tributary streams, According to the Colorado Springs Gazette on July 26, 1885: "In every respect,
<br />it was one of the most disastrous storms that has ever visited this section of Colorado, '" a reporter was
<br />dispatched to learn the extent of damage in the Fountain Valley, This quiet little stream had lost its vaunted
<br />placidity and taken the form of a roaring, angry flood '" an immense volume tearing down the valley, carrying
<br />trees, fences, bridges, and timbers in its angry embrace,,, So far as could be ascertained, no lives were lost
<br />in the southern part of town, but the loss of property in Fountain Valley will amount to many thousands of
<br />dollars, Never before has the Fountain been on such a rampage,"
<br />
<br />Flood of June 1921. Wtth small and large streams flooding in varying degrees throughout the region,
<br />the town of Fountain and tts residents earned the following praise in the Colorado Gazette of June 7, 1921, "All
<br />day and night, the bakery and restaurant in the town remained open to feed those who passed thru, and citizens
<br />worked with the military and volunteers to break the road throu and keep it open, Tho the town was not
<br />seriously flooded, the surrounding county was, and the town's main water main, supplying the city, was put out
<br />of commission '" But the townsmen made no complaint. They were too busy helping others," At Colorado
<br />Springs, neither Fountain Creek nor Monument Creek 1'I0ws went overbank, but with additional flows from
<br />Shooks Run and other tributaries severe damage was caused below the mouth of Spring Creek. These
<br />floodwaters increased in magnttude toward Pueblo to become one of Colorado's most disastrous flood events.
<br />
<br />Flood of Mav 1935, This flood resulted from excessive rainfall of short duration over an area of less
<br />that 100 square miles in the Monument Creek basin, at Colorado Springs, the west side area along Monument
<br />Creek suffered most severely, followed closely by the city's south end flooded by Fountain Creek, Early news
<br />reports, appearing in the Colorado Springs Gazette or Evening Telegraph, informed: "Eighteen Usted as Dead
<br />or Missing Wtth Scores Reported in Hospttals '" All bridges across Monument and Fountain Creeks in the city,
<br />except the Bijou Street viaduct across Monument Creek, were destroyed '" South of the joining point of
<br />Monument and Fountain Creeks, the floodwaters spread out until they covered an area a mile wide '" The town
<br />of Fountain was without water this morning when the 1O,inch water main from the reservoir was washed out
<br />where it crosses Fountain Creek." Loss from Flood is Raised to $1,769,000 By Estimate of City, County,
<br />State,"
<br />
<br />Flood of June 1965, This flood did not cause appreciable damage at Colorado Sprln(js, but caused
<br />severe damage further downstream, Jimmy Camp Creek flow was estimated to be 124,000 cfs at a point 4,5
<br />miles upstream from its confluence with Fountain Creek A book entitled "Valley of the Fountain" by H, Kay
<br />Brander Larson contains the following passages which describe the flood's effects in Colorado Springs' south
<br />suburbs, the town of Fountain, and nearby environs:
<br />
<br />"Millions of dollars in damages were wrought in the Valley during the disastrous flood of June 17, 1965,
<br />the latest in its long history, Hailstones as big as tennis balls fell in the Security-Widefield, Stratmoor Hills-
<br />Stratmoor Valley, and Fountain communities Monday aftemoon '" At the entrance to Wid"field off U,S,
<br />Highway 85-87, floodwaters running bank high in the drainage ditch washed away the roadbed as well as
<br />concrete lines on the dttch, Water cresting on Sand (Jimmy Camp) Creek with waves eight feet high put a roller
<br />coaster bend in the bridge on the road leading to Little Ranches of the Fontain, The next onslaught of water
<br />washed this bridge out completely as well as the railroad tmstle on the tracks 1/4 mile south, Residents of the
<br />area east of Fountain were forced to wade the stream or go miles around to main traffic arteries, At the height
<br />of the storm, muddy waters poured down Fountain's main thoroughfare, Sante Fe Drive, washin!) a huge gully
<br />at the north end of the bridge south of town across Fountain Creek, The bridge across Crew's Gulch, on
<br />
<br />Colorado Flood
<br />Hydrology Manual
<br />
<br />4,24
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<br />DRAFT
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