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<br />2.0 AREA STUDIED <br /> <br />2.1 Scope of Study <br /> <br />This Flood Insurance Study covers the incorporated areas of the <br />City of Orchard City, Delta County, Colorado. The area of study <br />is shown on the Vicinity Map (Figure 1). <br /> <br />This study includes a detailed analysis of approximately 4.9 miles <br />of Surface Creek and approximately 3.1 miles of Cedar Run within <br />the corporate limits of Orchard City. <br /> <br />Those areas studied by detailed methods were chosen with consider- <br />ation given to all proposed construction and forecasted develop- <br />ment through 1984. <br /> <br />In addition, 2.8 miles of Cedar Run and 1.1 miles of Tongue Creek <br />were studied by approximate methods. Approximate methods of analysis <br />were used to study areas having a low development potential or <br />a minimal flood hazard. <br /> <br />2.2 Community Description <br /> <br />Orchard City is on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains in <br />west-central Delta County. It is in west-central Colorado, approxi- <br />mately 35 miles southeast of the City of Grand Junction and approxi- <br />mately 11 miles northeast of the City of Delta. It covers an <br />area of approximately 11.5 square miles. The city is bordered <br />by unincorporated Delta County land. It was incorporated in 1952. <br /> <br />The Ute Indians were the earliest residents of western Colorado. <br />In 1868, the Utes were put on a reservation which included Montrose <br />County and the surrounding area. This reservation was dissolved <br />by an 1880 treaty which transferred the Ute Indians to a new reser- <br />vation in northeastern Utah. On September I, 1881, the old Ute <br />Indian Reservation was opened for resettlement. <br /> <br />Orchard City is a community of three, small, unincorporated towns; <br />Eckert, Cory, and Austin, and the surrounding farms. It was organized <br />in 1912 for the purpose of establishing a water system from the <br />Grand Mesa. The economic base of Orchard City has always been <br />fruit growing, cattle farming, and as a distribution center. <br />Austin was a major rail center for fruits, cattle, and sugar beet <br />distribution until it was destroyed in the 1937 failure of the <br />Fruit Growers Reservoir darn which caused flooding on Alfalfa Run. <br />Alfalfa Run was not considered in this study because it normally <br />has a low flooding potential when the Fruit Growers Reservoir <br />is properly maintained. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, <br />the population of Orchard City was 1815 in 1977 (Reference I), <br />an increase of 96 percent from 1970 (Reference 2). The population <br />forecast for the year 2000 ranges from 3000 to 4000 (Reference 3). <br /> <br />2 <br />