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<br />c,
<br />
<br />Fl.J<ldCharacteristics
<br />
<br />III, HISTORY OF FLOODING
<br />
<br />Floods io the study area generfllly ,,,"suIt fr,)ll' rapid :ndting
<br />.,f the mountain snowpAck from ab'Hlt the middle .,f ~"lJ.y
<br />thr.)ugh early ,Iuly and fr.)," gl!n€'tal raInstorms that nvr"hslly
<br />';lccur fr')m July thr.)ugh Oct.,b,;r. Soo,,'melt flvodlng is
<br />charflcterized by muderat.. p""k fl')\o'R, lat!!" VJluNc, I.Jog
<br />duration, and Glarked diurnal fluctuatiun vi flow. S".,,,,m,,lt
<br />runoff may \)ccasi'.Jnally be au[:mented by rain. Rainfl,)ods an'
<br />char"ct.,rized by high peek flows ,Jf mClGerate v"Iu:ne an(~
<br />duration. Flooding is mvr", severe when antecedent rainfall has
<br />resulted in saturated ground conditions or the ground is ft"ozen
<br />and infiltration is roinlmal. Convective type clvudburst st'Jrms,
<br />svmetimes lasting f.}r several hours, can be expected to '.lccur in
<br />the Leadville region during the summer. Runoff from these storm.~
<br />is charecterized by high peak disch8rge, short duration, and
<br />sm811 volume. Due to the small areal extent of cl')ud"ur~t
<br />storms, they would have little effect in the study area unless
<br />they 0ccurred c'.lncurrently with rapid sn.)wmelt or run"ff fr'JLa
<br />general rain.
<br />Ohstructions to flvodflo,,'s within the study reaches inclu,.\<.
<br />natural 0hatructions I':uch 81': thick bru.sh snd "ther types of
<br />veget8tions growing along the strearnb.mks, and I!LlHHl'.ade
<br />obstructions such as bridges. During floods, thes" bridge
<br />obstructions impede floodflows and cause backwater condition.s
<br />that may increase the fl00d heights upstream .)f the obstructi')!ls,
<br />ilnd velocities do,mstre<lm of the obstructions.
<br />
<br />The upper Arkansas River
<br />history, encolllpassing the
<br />and the Twin Lakes area.
<br />The known history of the Twin Lakes area extends bsck into the
<br />early 1800's when it was the domain of the Ute Indians of Western
<br />Colorado. By 1860, gold seekers ,"'ere caelping and prospecting
<br />throughout the arell. In 1866, Lake County voters approved
<br />Dayton, predecessor to Twin Lakes Village, as its county seat.
<br />Two years later, the county sellt was removed from Dayton to
<br />Leadville, and the popu1etion of the town dwindled.
<br />
<br />Velley is
<br />historic
<br />
<br />rich 1n
<br />Leadville
<br />
<br />Western
<br />Mining
<br />
<br />American
<br />District,
<br />
<br />Brush weshed out during floods is carried downHtre<lm <<nd may
<br />collect at bridges and in culverts, thus creatint; a dacm"np
<br />eff"ct and overbank fl,).... As floadflo,,'s increase, masses 'Jf
<br />debris "'''y break loose "-nd cause a wall .Jf water and d"bri8 tv
<br />~"rg'" downstrcar.: u"til Q"Gt!:cr o~st.uct::'on is ~r.counter(;d. In
<br />some instilnces, debris may collect to the p.:>int wh~'r" structural
<br />capability is exceeded and a bridge is destroyed or abutm"J1ts and
<br />approaches eroded and roadbeds damaged.
<br />
<br />Renewed mining activity in the early 1800's caused Twin Lakes to
<br />bloom into a prospering community with a year-round population of
<br />250 persons. During the period from 1881 to 1888, a busy
<br />freighting and staging toll road extended up Lake Creek towards
<br />Aspen over the Continental Divide via Independence Pass. Resorts
<br />such as the Lakeside, later named the Interlaken, served the
<br />travelers and residents of the region. Many cabins, hotels,
<br />stores, and shops were built in the community, and by the 1900's
<br />it became a popular fishing and recreation site. Due to the
<br />decline in mining activitr, Twin Lakes Village was reduced to a
<br />quiet hamlet by the 1920 s and remained so through the 1940's.
<br />During the 1960's new residential and summer home construction
<br />occurred on many of the old mining claims on Lake Creek and new
<br />businesses were opened all a rellult of the increasing numbers of
<br />sportsmen, tourists, and vacationers that ,,'ere viaiting the area.
<br />
<br />In spite of sucn a record of active pest history, no historical
<br />accounts of flooding on any of the three study reaches were found
<br />Gurins:; the investigation. HoweVer, according the streamgage data
<br />(see -Table 2), vccurcnccs of high ;;ater em t;.;o vf th{l threc
<br />streams can be stated.
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