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<br />48 <br /> <br />FLOODS IN COLORADO <br /> <br />flowed its banks in a. number of places, had reached West Firxt S~rcct in the <br />city and covered a large portion of ground occupied by road-making machinery. <br />The cement paving south of l..oveland is covered with water to a. depth of over a <br />foot. The Estes Park road and the valley near the plaster mills are covered. <br /> <br />The water commissioner estimated that the flow of the river below <br />the canyon was 7,000 second-feet, of which 5,000 second-feet was <br />being diverted into storage reservoirs. <br />One of the areas of heaviest precipitation during the general storm <br />of September 1938 was the foothills part of the Thompson River Basin <br />as far east as Fort Collins. Records of precipitation in or near the <br />Thompson River Basin for thc period September 1-4, as reported by <br />the Wenther Bureau arc given below. <br /> <br />Precipitation, in inches, in Thompson River Ba8in, Sept. 1-4. 1938 <br /> <br /> September <br />Station Altitude 'l'oto.l <br />(feet) <br /> 1 2 3 4 <br /> - - -- <br />Estes Pllrkn_n__.-:.__.____________._______ 8,000 0.12 0.71 1.93 0.19 2.95 <br />N<>.ar 1.011gS Peakun_.u_________________ 8,956 .09 .30 2.50 .2' 3.16 <br />Wa.wnlahL_._..._________.__._.__.nhh' &,206 u----~32- 5.:15 :1.22 ." 9.04 <br />Fort COIHM. h_ ._______n___ _._.__ -. - -- -- 4,985 1.14 3." .09 5.0~ <br /> <br />The operator at the Loveland filter plant, 7~ miles west of Love- <br />land and 2 miles west of Waterdale, had a small rain gage formerly <br />used by the Weather Bureau. He reported precipitation as follows: <br /> <br />Precipitation at Loveland filter plant <br /> <br />Inchu <br />Sept. 1,4.15 p. m. to 7:15 p. m...____.___.._____________ 3.25 <br />Sept. 1, 7:15p. In., to Sept. 2, 6 8. m___h__ ____________ 2.00 <br />Sept. 2, 6 t\. m. to Sept. 3, 68. m________________________ 2.90 <br />Sept. 4____..________.__.____.___....__.___..__...____. .58 <br /> <br />8. 73 <br /> <br />A second storm, consisting chiefly of a series of cloudbursts, occurred <br />in tho foothills area Scptmnber 10, In8. Like the storm earlier in <br />September, its cffect was chiefly on the tributary streams, where <br />sharp flood flows of short duration resulted. At a point on Redstone <br />Creek, 6ll miles above Masonville, a rancher stated that during this <br />storm a lO-inch bucket in the yard was filled and ran over, In spite <br />of the heavy precipitation, no outstanding flood occurred on thc <br />Thompson River; the peak dischargc at the gaging station near the <br />mouth of the canyon was 5,600 second-fcct, ami at the gaging station <br />near the mouth of the rivcr 3,000 second-feet. This was due partly <br />to tJ>e fnct that the extensive reservoir system in the Thompson Valley <br />diverted the water during this period, The chief damage from flood <br /> <br />T <br /> <br />MAJOR FLOODB--1l0UTH PLATTE RIVER <br /> <br />49 <br /> <br />was to the recently completed highway in the canyon, which was <br />washed out in 10 places. In its lower course the river overflowed its <br />banks, particularly below thc mouth of Little Thompson River. <br />The intcnse precipitation causcd floods on several tributary streams <br />in the foothills, and these were investigated by the Geological Survey. <br />Dixon Gulch, draining nn area of 2.15 square miles, enters Thompson <br />River at the head of Loveland Oanyon 2 miles above the canyon <br />gaging station and 3 ~ miles above the Loveland Reservoir filter beds. <br />Heavy precipitation caused a sharp rise at 7 p. m. September 1, which <br />lasted only about 10 minutes. A slope-area measurement made near <br />the mouth of Loveland Canyon showed a peak flow of 3,620 second- <br />feet, or 1,680 second-feet per square mile. This flood undoubtedly <br />was a contributing factor to the peak flow of 5,600 second-feet at <br />8 p. m. on the Thompson River at the canyon station. Green Ridge <br />Glade, a small gulch that enters Thompson River at the filter beds, <br />had a peak discharge of 980 second-feet at 7:15 p. m. Scptember 1, as <br />determined from high-wnter marks of discharge through a 7 -foot con- <br />crete pipe. . This rcpre.sented a unit run-olf of 778 second-feet per <br />square mile. Two slightly smaller peaks occulTed during the night of <br />Scptember 1-2; thcse were estimated at about 950 second-feet each. <br />Dry Crcck, ordinarily a very small stream draining the foothills south <br />of Thompson River, which it enters midway between Buckhorn Creek <br />and Lovcland, was reported by the Water Commissioner to have had a <br />discharge of 1,500 second-feet. <br />Cedar Crcek, which enters Thompson River tlrree-quarters of a mile <br />ahovc Dixon Gulch, had a flood about 7 p. m. September 3, of sufficient. <br />volume to wash out the bridges ovcr the creek. The rainfall was very <br />hcav:\: near the mouth of the creek but did not extend very far up <br />Thompson Rivcr above it. A sccond flood on Cedar Creek about 7 <br />p. m., September 10, was higher than that of Septembcr 3. A slopc- <br />area measuremcnt of this flood at the mouth of the creek in sec. 8, <br />T. 5 N., R. 70 W., showcd a peak discharge of 2,940 second-feet, or <br />156 second-feet per square mile from a drainage area of 18.9 square <br />miles. <br /> <br />BUCKHORN CREEK <br />The lowcr part of the area drained by Buckhorn Creek, consists of <br />three narrow troughlike valleys lying in the foothills west of Loveland. <br />This part is subject to cloudbursts, Buckhorn Creck has a fall of 42 <br />fcct per mile from its mouth to Redstone Creck, and 93 feet per mile <br />for a distance of 8 miles above Redstone Creek. Redstone Creek has <br />a fall of 99 feet per mile, for a distance of 7 miles above its mouth. <br />Missouri Canyon which enters Buckhorn Creek 3 miles below Mason- <br />ville, has an average fnll of 147 feet per mile. <br />Subsequent to the general storm over the Thompson River Basin, <br />