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<br />Page 14 -, Rocky Mountain News, Denver, ,Colo.
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<br />.. Saturday, May 12, '198.,
<br />
<br /> ',Oak:Creek girds .,.
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<br /> , Jor :tough:,battle, .....
<br /> .' .. . .
<br /> :against runoff
<br />I Rocky Mountain News Staff. Wire Reports
<br />.\ . Earthen barricades went up Friday in the town of Oak .-
<br /> . .. Creek as officials tried to keep runoff-swollen Oak Creek I
<br /> . from spilling into .the streets of the northern, Colorado
<br /> community. The city park already 'is under water.,'
<br /> . As 'temperatures climbed into the 70s, floodwa~rs in
<br /> '. the park deepened and officials \Vorried aboutbomes and
<br /> . trailers. Volunteers were put to work filling sandbags. '.
<br />I . A Colorado disaster services official. on Friday predict-
<br />. "d,flooding in some low-lying areas arouna the state in the
<br /> " I" . next few days as \valJli days and above-freezing temper~-
<br /> .' tures atnight melt snowpacks in the high country. ,',
<br /> " . "There are going to be some problems as the. rivers I
<br /> . risEll" said Leonard Boulas, operations officer .for the state'
<br /> Division ofDlsaster Emergency Services. .
<br /> "The. trend. will continue over. the. weekend as ~e'
<br /> ,temperature trend will be upward," said hydrologist'
<br />I Larry TunnelL ". '... '. ,',.'
<br /> In Steamboat Springs,.. crews on Friday stacked sand-
<br /> " . bags along the banks of Butcher Knife Creek in low-lying'
<br /> ',areas of the city, RoutfCounty Sheriff'Tim Walsh said. On I
<br /> . Thursday, water from the creek was 4 iDches deep. and
<br /> .,'reached the doorsteps of some homes. ,. .
<br /> While he downplayed the flooding; Walsh expressed '
<br /> hope that this year is not a repeat of 197 4, '~when the
<br /> water came across the streets.". .... '. '. '. .
<br />I '. 'Boulassaid the :state has arr,"igedfor an emergency'
<br />, .' shipment of sandbags to Delta, Colo., because the city is
<br /> , ':: worrielt abOut a bridge giymg 'flay to the force of North
<br /> . ';,Fork of the Gunnison River. . .
<br /> '. ; '''The'sandbag dealers are getting flooded with calls -
<br /> . . with this sudden warming trend," he said. "Dam operators'
<br /> are going to be releasing water over the next few days,
<br /> which is going to mean more water in some rivers."
<br /> , Rocks used to shore the bridge at Delta have washed.
<br />I away, making the Gunnison situation ':fairly serious," he
<br /> said. . .,.. ",
<br /> . The long-range forecast calls for warm, dry weather in
<br /> Denver. and colorado Saturday through Monday; Denver- I
<br /> area temperatures will be in the mid-80s on Sunday and
<br /> Monday, and 75 to. 80. on Tuesday. ..
<br /> , In addition to cooler temperatures on Tuesday, there is
<br /> a slight chance of afternoon and evening thundershowers
<br />I in the Denver area, according to the five-day forecast.
<br /> It also will be a little cooler over Colorado on Tuesday,
<br /> with widely scallered afternoon and evening showers and
<br /> thunderstorms. Highs Sunda~ and Monday will be in the
<br /> 80s and low 90s in the lower e evations, and 60s to mid-70s I
<br /> in the mountains. .' \ .' .
<br /> "Indications. are that cooler weather will move into the
<br /> state by next Tuesday or Wednesday to retard the snow-
<br /> ":lc.lt.f~r\~}~~/~T~~~!I~ts~.~~~._\;.t <~\:..-(~ -'r!...~;, l~ :."'.:l:'.~'i":
<br />I '~ He added that the western portion of the state will
<br />'"" notice greater river depths than the east.
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