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<br />56
<br />
<br />FLOODS IN COWRADO
<br />
<br />however, the water was bank high, and 3 inches would ha.ve put it over the
<br />bottoms.
<br />At 2 o'clock Thursday morning [June 9} the [Cache la} Poudre was 8. raging ior~
<br />rent, threatening homes in "JunglcslJ district of Fort Collins and farm lands to the
<br />south and east. Within a fraction of a foot of high-water ma'rk reached at
<br />dawn Wednesday morning [June 8). It scemed inevitable that all former records
<br />would be broken and considerable damage done.
<br />
<br />Subsequent issues of the newspaper contain no stn.tcment regarding
<br />tho river, which indicates that it subsided without breaking any
<br />records, By the time the flood reached Greeley the peak had bcen
<br />so reduced that little or no overflow occurred.
<br />The flood of June 1923 was cansed by a combination of mcltingsnow
<br />and heavy rains. At the end of March, when the last report for
<br />the season was made, the snow cover was about 50 percent above
<br />normal. During April the precipitation and tempcmture were
<br />below normal. During Mny the temperature was below normal,
<br />but the precipitation was considembly above, being 1.5 to 1.6 inches
<br />above normal at the three stations in the basin. Thus it is evident
<br />tllS.t the snow cover on June 1 was markedly above normal, although
<br />no rccord of its depth has been found. June was one of the wettest
<br />months on record, precipitation occurring almost cvery day beginning
<br />the 2d and culminating in sevore rsins on the 9th. After a lapse of
<br />several days, min again fell on the 14th and 15th.
<br />
<br />Daily precipitation, in inches, in Cache la Poudre River Basin, June 1-18, 1923
<br />
<br /> Frys Ranch Lal1urtr. J,'ort Cul- .fo:stt'!l Park N~lll' IJllllg
<br /> 1i11~ (nUl- -hnk (nIB-
<br /> JUIIIl (Rlt.il_lItle (nlt-itudl' tUlle -1,\tIKi (1l1Utudu tude H,llflO
<br /> 7,500 teet) 5,0('13 rl~Ct) fl'f'l,) 8,OUO f('l't) rt~d)
<br /> --- --- ---- --- -----
<br />L . _. ._.. _____ __'_n_ ___ __ _ _ _______ _hh_. _____n____. __n.__.____ _._-~;~:.--- ---- _00___.
<br />L ___ __n._ __ _ __ __._n_n__ _n.. __ _ _. ._n_ ____h.___._ ._uu____u O. 30 _,_____..u
<br />3. _h____n_____'.hU___ _____u___n'__" __.___n__.. .--- - - -O~ ~8. _uH_U_ U. 12 ..u----U::~
<br />.. __h_____.."______'____ .------------_.. ---.- n.__n a:f 114
<br />.. _ n__ ___.__ _ n___. ___ ___ ___ ___._ _ _ _ ___ ___ ___n_.___.. __u__u__ 11 --...n--05- :1-
<br />.. _h___________'-.." ------ .--------..---- 0." 37 .1 .,
<br />,. . H_ _ _._ ___________ _ n.__ __ _ __. _ _ __ n___ T" .116 OS ~, ,
<br />.. _ n .... _ _. _ __ _ __ _.. _n__ ___ __.. _ _ _ _ __ ____ 30 -------- ... or. 'II I.
<br />.. '" 2 28 2. "" 1. .. 2. r"
<br />10: .hn__ _n__ --,.__ n _ .___ - -- _ __ _hn_ --. 2. 10 '" 10 II;
<br /> _. nn n _ __ ___ __ _. _h_ _ n _ _ _ _ _ ____ ___.. ---.nu'2i-
<br />11. . ______ __ __n_, __n __ _. _ _____ n__ n_..__ 10 III 116 _u____.___
<br />12. __ _ _ _.... _ 00",__ ___ ___ _h_ _ _~ _ .n_ 00 ___ 10 _____.._n__ .____u__. 13 ._____00___
<br />13. 'fr. --. .__uu__ '_nun_ .u ------- u
<br />14. : :::::~:::= :::::::: :::: :::: ::::::::::::: __.___.nn. ---------sii ----.--i:4i- _______uu ------.-. --
<br />15........_._.__........_...._.....________ -.--....-.-- 1.01 ..__nn..'_ _..n_____j
<br />16_ _ _ Un' _._. Uh ___ ___ __ ___ _.. __.__.._ 00_ ___n'h__'_ m; 25
<br />17__ _____...... ._. _. ..._ _n_ ____n...n.... --n..._-8O- __Hnn____ .H-'fj.:---- ..h._______ -...... .U
<br />18_. ..n u_n_ _n~......_ __. __. __ __ __n__n __Un____n _.....-..-.. -------..--- _nn'__"_
<br />
<br />'rhflSO Wcnthl1r Hut't.'8U n\oords do not show trn- hellvy rullls or clomlhUnlt i1l1<.'11S1t/. which (Jccurn\u June
<br />Hi in the Bl1ckhol"ll Crt~k HRsln just south or the OuchI' Is 1'0U\11"1l Hjvcr nR..'4tll RlJ( which CJ(telldl~,l lnlt!
<br />tbe Cachela l'oudre River llll$ln above the Wilting stat.lon at the mouth or till' CIln~;oll, l\S fCl.'orded It)" the
<br />lowlpt'CS.'i.
<br />
<br />The daily discharge of the Cache la Poudre n.t the canyon gaging
<br />station, was as follows:
<br />
<br />1
<br />
<br />~
<br />
<br />,
<br />,
<br />4
<br />
<br />(,
<br />
<br />MAJOR FLOODSc-SOUTH PLA'l:TE RIVER
<br />
<br />57
<br />
<br />Daily dl:scha-rge of the Cache la Poudre RiverJ June 1-30, 1923
<br />[Datil from report of Colorado State Engluccr]
<br />
<br /> DISChllT JJisch3~
<br /> JUlle (!menl! - June (8(\(.'01111-
<br /> fret) foot)
<br /> --
<br />'-. _______._____n_._ ._____n.n____ 2, ,,~ 16.___.______n._.___.....u__n.._____ 7. 5r.o
<br />2.. ---------- .----- _____.____n_____ 2. 200 11______._._____________".________.._. ,. BOO
<br />:L____ -----.--_.-----------.------- " 1110 HL_ __ ___.. _ _._ ___ __ _ _ __ .~__ _.00 _____h 4. 2;0
<br />4,..00__._ ------_.__.------_.-------- 2;200 19_ _____ __n__ _ ___ __ _ __ _ _ ___.__ __.~ ---- 4,OO(J
<br />fI__ .____nn__...___n._______ 2, 180 20~.. _-'r-n-___._ _ _. _ __ __nn__.. - ----- 3. 7MI
<br />li._.______ -.----------. u --------_..--- '. 11611 21...._ __ _ __~.._ _ _ _..__ n_ _no _.. _ _.__. 3, 240
<br />,-.-- . --- _ --- _ _ _ -- --- -- -- -. _ _ _ _ _ --- -- u 2, Oln 22.__.___"_____n._____________________ 2. g",
<br />f1__..________..._ .---------- ____n__'_ ~ l(il) 23___..__.______ ________________n__.__ 3. 000
<br />" ------- -.------.--..----- uu______ 5. "" 24~n_____.___._________..___._ -------, 2,670
<br />111 ..----..--------.--..- ---_.--_...-- 7, :f50 26______n_.'... ___.___n..__._.___~___ 2,9'.1.0
<br />11____.____...__________ .-.---...---.- 6 180 26_~___________...______.____n__._____ 2, "'"
<br />lL__u .-----,--.---------.-..-------. '. 640 27___....__.__________.____...________. 2.li20
<br />l:L.___.______ __.___.._______.__.._n_ 4. 5-10 28__ _ n_n"'_ _'.. ___ _ _n____ __ _ _._ ___~ 2. '.1
<br />11.._ .--------,.------..-.-------.--.-- 4, .., 29____ ___n,,__ __ ___ _ ....___ __ __ _____., 2,$iO
<br />IlL_____ -----.---------."--.-------. , 6,460 3O___n...__.__________.____________n_ 2. 480
<br />
<br />I Peak di8chl1r~c, S,5!1O .';t'oond.foot.
<br />
<br />. . Regarding the flood of June 15-16, the Fort Collins Express,
<br />June 16, 1923, stated:
<br />FNI hy mount.ain cloudbursts and heavy general rains, the [Cache 10.] PotHh.e
<br />H.iver Ia.st night in 2 hours became a raging torrent. Cloudbursts, one at Livel'~
<br />more 31ld l\llother at a point not far away from there, late in the afternoon sent
<br />a wa.1I of wn.ter down the canyon. At Laporte and Fort Collill8 the river rose
<br />2 ft~ct, in a." roany hours.
<br />In its issue of June 17, 1923, the Fort Collins Express publishod
<br />a dispatch from Greoley which read:
<br />
<br />J1i~h wfiter on t.he [Cache In] Poudrc second only to t.he flood of HlO4, tonight
<br />folhut. off all t.ravel 011 highways north aud wcst of the city and had driven a ,.\Core
<br />of famili,~M from their homes on t,he lowlands. The south channel of the {Cache
<br />la1 Poudrc is within a few inches of the Union Pacific track between here and
<br />(lhevenllc, Three fc{~t of water has driven tourist.s from their camp ground
<br />ill Lhe bottoms. The Boyd farm northwest of here was entirely under wa.ter
<br />fur the first time sillce 1884.
<br />
<br />Hcavy rains in the North Fork Cache la Poudre River Basin, May
<br />31 1930 causcd the highest flood on the North Fork since 1904 and
<br />, ,
<br />" flood on the Cache la Poudro River at the canyon gaging station
<br />that ranked third in the list of known floods in that area. The
<br />Geological Survey invcstigatcd the flood on the North Fork Cache
<br />la Pondrc River within a few days. The storm that causod the flood
<br />"ppe.ared to originate in the foothills southwest of Livermore, whore
<br />thc altitudo rangcs from 7,000 to 7,500 foet. It traveled northwest,
<br />releasing heavy precipitation about 7 milos northwest of Livormore,
<br />".nd end cd in a hailstorm that covered the ground with hail to a
<br />depth of several inches. At Livermore the rain startod at 3 p. m,
<br />and continucd until 6 p. m., with the heaviest fan about 5 o'clock.
<br />No record of the amount of precipitation is available. The North
<br />
<br />IX
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