|
<br />36
<br />
<br />FLOODS IN COLORADO
<br />
<br />MAJOR FLOODS-SOUTH PLATTE hlVER
<br />
<br />37
<br />
<br />The Denver Rocky Mountain News, May 29, 1867, records a flood
<br />on Clear Creek:
<br />We had a call this morning from Mr. G. H. Bogue, acting sheriff of Clear Creek
<br />County. He reports a constant fall of rain and snow at Idaho [Springs], from
<br />Friday last up to the time when he came away yesterday, with a good prospect
<br />of a continuance for an indefinite period. The snow melted away as fast as it
<br />fell '" * *. Clear Creek is so high that bar mining has been suspended for a.
<br />time.
<br />On July 14, 1872, a cloudburst flood occurred on Golden Gate
<br />Gulch which enters Clear Creek at Golden. The account of this
<br />flood ~s given in the Rocky Mountain News of July 16, 1872, in which
<br />the cloudburst is termed a waterspout, is presented at length because,
<br />so far as is known, it is the earliest account of a cloudburst in this
<br />region. Thc iast sentence of the quotation indicates the short
<br />duration of the flood.
<br />Those who have ever witnessed a waterspout will bear testimony to its appalling
<br />nature. Due of these curious phenomena. occurred 011 the Central Stage Road
<br />in Golden Gate Gulch, 4 miles above the town of Golden, on July 14 ahout 4
<br />o'clock. People residing in tha.t vicinity report having seen, just a.bove the higher
<br />mountains, numerous dense clouds, from which a conical pillar resembling COIl.
<br />densed vapor, was seen to descend,. and almost simultaneously a deafening peal
<br />of thunder was heard.
<br />Mr. Ja.ck Virden [and family] had been to Golden and were returning home in a
<br />double carriage a.nd had reached the point indicated above, when the waterspout
<br />dispersed. * * * Presently a violent commotion, with confusion of soundf3
<br />like the tumult of the elements, was heard high up in the mountains. Then came
<br />!l. tremendous torrent of water, bearing trees and boulders, and ca.lculated to
<br />astonish and terrify by its magnitude, force, and violence. The horses, seeing
<br />that they were to be sacrificed to the prodigious volume, t.ook fright, and shying
<br />to one side upset the carriage a.nd all occupants were pitched int.o the bottom of
<br />the gulch. In an instant, as it were, and before they could recover their fect, the
<br />WRve, with a perpendicular breast of 10 or 12 feet, was upon them and licked them
<br />up like the sands of the gulch. Mrs. Virden clung to her husband, and he, by
<br />miraculous chance, got hold of a limb and held Cast until the flood subsided.
<br />
<br />No mention has been found of the resulting flood in Golden or
<br />farther down Clear Crcek, and it is probable that, like similar floods,
<br />its peak was soon reduccd by channel storage to 0. stage at which it
<br />ceased to causc serious damage.
<br />On August 1, 1888, anothcr flood occurred on Clear Crcek, the peak
<br />discharge of which was stated in the report of the State Engineer 21
<br />to have been 8 700 second-feet and to have lasted 2 hours. This dis-
<br />, .
<br />charge was at thc gaging station maintained in the canyon 7 mdes
<br />, above Golden. 'l'he gage was washcd out, but the peak discharge
<br />was apparently determined from high-water marks and an extcnsion
<br />of the station rating curve. The Colorado 'franscript, August 8, 1888,
<br />- states that this flood caused severe damage to the railroad tracks in
<br />
<br />the canyon, washing them out badly. According to the Rocky Moun-
<br />tain News, August 2, 1888, the damage occurred between Idaho
<br />Springs and Golden.
<br />CloudbuI'Rts on July 24, 1896, caused a flood in Golden Gate Gulch
<br />and on Clear Creek below the mouth of Beaver Brook which enters
<br />the canyon about 6 miles above Golden. The Colorado Transcript,
<br />July 29, 1896, contains the following account of this storm and the
<br />resulting flood:
<br />
<br />At about 1 o'clock [evening} dense clouds had gathered low down on the sur-
<br />rounding mountains and at that hour an unprecedented downpQur of rain and hail
<br />commenced, continuing to fall in sheets for half an hour or more * * *.
<br />Before the rain even partially ceased the water in the [Clear] creek began to rise
<br />rapidly, bringing down flood wood, railroad ties, trees, and an manner of debris,
<br />and to add to the horror, at about 8 o'clock a tremendous wall of water came down
<br />Tucker Gulch [a tributary of Golden Gate Gulch] forcing H.s way through the
<br />center of the town [GoldenJ, carrying death and destruction in its path.
<br />At the point where the gulch debouches through a narrow passage in Clarka
<br />garden, additional watermarks show that the body of water must have been fully
<br />30 feet deep. At this point stood the residence of Alderman J. F. Edwards, and
<br />the relentless flood swept from home and loved ones Mrs. Edwards, who was
<br />standing in the yard as the water approached and was unable to reach a place of
<br />safety before she was hurted to death * * "'. The flood with its load of wreck...
<br />age dashed on down the incline, parting at the glass works which stood alongside
<br />the railroad tracks, one body following down the gulch and Ford Street * * *.
<br />taking in its course a little cottage. (Two occupants were drowned.)
<br />By 8 o'clock Clear Creek itself was on the rampage, a body oC water from 8 to
<br />10 feet deep coming down from Beaver Brook.
<br />
<br />These cloudburst floods were of such short duration that they were
<br />quickly flattened out when they reached Clear Creek, and apparently
<br />caused little damage, as the local newspapers do not mention high
<br />water in Clear Creek at this time.
<br />Rain on September 9-lI, 1933, covered the Clcar Creek Basin,
<br />the records showing 2.75 inches at Idaho Springs and 1.10 inches at
<br />Denvcr near the mouth of the creek. 'fhis rain caused a peak dis-
<br />charge of 5,890 second-feet September 9 at the Golden gaging station.
<br />The peak was of such short duration, howevcr, that the mcan dis-
<br />charge for cach of the calendar days was much less than the peak, as
<br />shown by the following record for the period September 8-11, 1933:
<br />
<br />Mean daily discharge near Golden, September 8-11,1933
<br />
<br />Sept. 8_ _, _" _ _ _ _ _'' _" _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _', _ _ _ _ _" _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _,
<br />9________,__,_____,____,______"_,,__,,,____,,_
<br />10,_________"____,,,__,______,___,______,___,__
<br />11_____,_",____",__"_,__",_,,,____,,_,_,____
<br />
<br />&cond-feet
<br />72
<br />757
<br />552
<br />210
<br />
<br />Golden Gate Canyon, which enters Clear Creek below the gaging
<br />station near Golden, was floodcd, and the highway was damaged to
<br />Sll~h R.n p.yt.Ant. t.hAt. it. UTA.a. 1'11lr.::,,,,i! fill' l:l.AvIH'nl ilnU"l:l. TIlt) nAnk- rl-ia"hn"'l'l't>
<br />
|