Laserfiche WebLink
<br />, <br /> <br />7()' <br /> <br />FLOODS IN COLORADO <br /> <br />about Fort Morgan, Brush, and Wiggins, where these ra.ging torrents, the [South] <br />Platte River, Kiowa, a.nd Bijou Creeks, met and at ODe point formed a. stream <br />several miles wide. <br />The office of the State engineer investigated these floods and the <br />storm causing them. The areas of heaviest precipitation contained <br />no Weather Bureau stations, therefore it was necessary in determining <br />the location and approximate amount of rainfall to obtain from local <br />residents such information as could be furnished by those who had <br />measured tho rainfall in improvised rain gages. 'I'he following table <br />summarizes tho information, <br /> <br />Rainfall on Kiowa and Bijou Creeks, May SO, 1995 <br />{Compiled from statements of local residents and from Weather Bureau records) <br /> <br />Location Rainf:lll Method of measurement Time <br />(Inches> <br />Bec. 2,. T.8S'8R.MW.u~--n.". TT. .oIYcmi:::::::::::::::::::::: - OCC8SionalraiD. Digbroi~~{ay <br />8eo.33, T.ll 'r R.M W.nu__n 8 <br /> 29-30; bard rain noon to s. <br /> p. m. May 30. <br />Sec.IS. T.llS.. R.M W_Ud.... 8 Estimated_..____.___....___ 1 ~m. May 29 to 3 p. m. <br /> 8)'30. <br />Bee. 12, r.ll S., R. 65 W.________ . -EtOOktank:overftowed:::::- 8a.m.to6p.m. <br />See. 34, T.IOS., R. 54 W...__nn " /) a. m. to 6 p. ro.; Intense at. <br /> noon. <br />See. '13, T. 10 S., R.M W.l_...____ 20 P-tock tank_._____m______.. Noon to4 p_ m. <br />800.22, T. 10 S., R. 64 W __..__._. '8 Stock tank, overBowedn____ 9 a. m. to 6;3(! p. m. <br />Bee. 10, T. 10 S., R. 64 W.ln____~. 16+ __ ___do_.__._ .~__u._ ....h_ u 12:30to4:30p.m. <br />Bee. 9\ T.IOS., RM W.l___um. 81i CoIlee can_____.__.__________ 1:30 to 6:30 p. m. <br />At Ebert. in 800. M, T. 9 S., 24 Standard mln ~~e, over-- 1:30to4:30p.m. <br />n.64W. flowed.' 12 inches caught <br /> in buCket after overflow. <br />Bee. 32. T. 8 88' R.M W.U..h." '"'H''' Heavy rain, not measured. 4o:30to7a.m.;ltolip.m. <br />Beo. 33, T.to ., R.63 W_u__nn Can___ ___~___ _...~~...u.__. <br />Bee. 35, T. 9 S., R. 63 W.1nn_____ 7 do u_______._u___._____ <br />Sec. 27, T. 9.S., R.63 W_.__u..._ .... -S:Janon can_ .uunnn..n_ . .. m. to 6 p. m.; intense a <br /> noon, and from 6 to 6 p. m. <br />Bee. 26, T. a 8., R. 63 W. u_______ Tr. 'W'at6r'bW-rei==::=:=:==:::::: <br />Sec. 26, T. 10 B., R. 62 W _ uuuu . 2to9p.m. <br />Bee. 16, T.8 8., R.62 W __________ ~) 'iiaii'bushej---measure -.- i4- 6;3000 lOa. m. 3to6 p. m. <br />Beo. 24-,1'.88., R.62W......___. 12 <br /> inches high. <br />See. 23, T. 7 8., R. 62 W.tn___n__ 3 -Oan:'ovej.8:owiDg-bY~iziom.:' <br />&>0.23, T. 6 8., R. 61 W.1.num_ 81i <br /> In,. <br />Sec. 9, T." 8., R. 61 W._n..__~__ .11 Reported by Weather Du, <br /> reau at Byers. <br />Bee. 26, T. 10 Sn R. 60 W,1_.um_ Ir, -EstlmiiitMC::::::::::::::::= <br />Bt".c. 4, T. 9 S., .60 W ___nn____ <br />Bee.g, T.8 B., R.tiOW.___.._.___ . Coffee can...__._ _._n_n__._ 3to6;30p.m. <br />Sec. 11, T. 7 S., R. 60 W _ .__.__u. . Bucket with vertical sldes___ 2to9p.m. <br />see. 13, T. 5 S., R.W W.I__nu... . __..n..._._.___._____.__.._.. 7 p. m. May 30, to mom <br /> 01 May 31. <br />8eo.12, T. 7 8., R. 59 W.I.._______ . -----.---....-..----.........--- <br /> <br />In1r <br /> <br />I Data obtained by Oeologlcal Survey. <br />12 inches in one hour reported; probably not the total rainfall. <br /> <br />The following table summarizes the results of the slope,-area <br />measurements: <br /> <br />T <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />MAJOR FLOODS-SOUTH PLATTE RIVER <br /> <br />71 <br /> <br />Peak discharge of Kiowa a.nd Bijou Creeks, May S0--81) 1985 <br />(Data from 28th Biennial report of the State Engineer or Colorado, p. 41, 1931J] <br /> <br /> Drainage Peak discharge <br /> area affected (second-feet) <br />Location brsstorm <br /> s~uare Per square <br /> mles) Total mile <br />Kiowa Creek: <br />Elbert, in sec. 34n T. 9 S., R. 64 W ...__.__.__u.u~__n_n__._ 60 143,500 '26 <br />Sec. 21, T. 0 S., .63 W _______.._~h_._..____._.~......._~u. 100 '110,000 ". <br />Bllllliett, in sec. 26, T. 3 S., R. 63 W___~_______.__.u.n.__.._ ... 176,300 283 <br />West llljou Cn'.ek: <br />Sec. 13, '1'. 8 S., R. 62W ___n_.____~___..__hh_.__UU..__... 118 13(,250 <br />Mld~~' :ij;~ .gr~c'k~' 62 W.. --.-----.-----.------- --- ----------- '.7 1(4,400 ..7 <br />~~~: ~~: 1: ~ ~::~: ~ ~:::::::::::::::=::::::::::::::::=::::: '" 171.270 472 <br />230 . 143, 640 ... <br />East Bljou Creek: <br />Deer Trail, in seo.la, T. 5 S., R. 60W ._n._...~...._........~ 2M I 26, 000 .. <br /> <br />200 <br /> <br />I Based on one cross section and slope of stream bed. <br />r Based on two eross sections and hlgh.water slope. <br />I Based on one cross section and hlgh.water slope. <br /> <br />In addition to the results given in the preceding table two more <br />discharge measurements were made. A slope-area measurement on <br />West Bijou Creek at Byers was taken above the railroad embank- <br />ment which, before its failure, ponded the flood. As the slope used <br />in this measurement was that of the stream bed subsequent to the <br />flood, it did not show the effect of the pondage, and the results ob- <br />tained are therefore believed to be too high. A slope-area measure- <br />ment on Bijou Creek in sec. 32, T, 4 N., R. 59 W., a few miles below <br />Wiggins, gave a discharge of about 280,000 second-feet. J. E. Field, <br />consulting engineer, made an investigation of the flood at Wiggins, <br />from which he concluded that a very considerable body of water had <br />been held back by the Burlington Railroad embankment. When <br />this cmbankment failed it relellSed the ponded water within. a com- <br />paratively short time and greatly increased the flow in the river <br />below. The high-water marks used to determine the peak flow were <br />those caused by the failure of the embanianent, and therefore did not <br />represent the pe..k flow. <br />Describing the results of the investigations on Kiowa Creek and <br />Bijou Creek, the Stato Engineer 37 says: <br /> <br />While some of the results, particula.rly those of the Bijou Creek discharges a.p.- <br />pear to be incredible and entirely beyond anything which has ever occurred in <br />Colorado or adjacent areas, they a.re submitted for wha.tever value they may <br />have. <br /> <br />In view of the uncertainties as to the accuracy of these results they <br />should be used with caution. <br /> <br />II Colorado State Engineer, 28th Blenu, Rept., p, 43, 1939, <br />