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<br />~'_ . . , .... <, ~.~___\ST.E~1l0~:.rs.PRINGS,COLORADO.NINETY-,NINT;~AR.~O.44.~-.- . Thursdav,MaV:l4,19S4 25.1
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<br />Water-loggedOa:k Creel< drYing out
<br />byBRIANBUBAX' ' , " . ',. '.
<br />., . Brewing Co. The county made two' to slide and possibly block the stream
<br />4,llOO-gallori tankers available. with flow. . ,
<br />drinking water. Residents just had to If the massive slide does fill the
<br />bring their own containers and fill up. canyon, a dam would be formed and
<br />Coors donated more than '13,000 water would start to build up behind it
<br />quarts of bottled spring water to the immediately. The dam would then be
<br />town. The company's brewery' in .' subject to a sudden break-up and could
<br />Golden shut down its quart-bottling line" potentially send a wall of water roaring'
<br />when officials heard of the water crisis down the valley and through the town.
<br />and started filling brown beer bottles Of course" the hillside in question
<br />with water. Coors also reportedly sent a hasn't slid yet. But the possibility of
<br />load of water to flood-troubled Baggs,' such a disaster is enough to keep many.
<br />Wyo. Oak Creek residents ali~e jwnpy. '
<br />
<br />of Its banks, has partially diverted itself'
<br />through the parking lot. Picnic tables,
<br />barbecues, swing sets and slides are all I
<br />surrounded by mud.
<br />Although sccess to most of the town
<br />has been restored, two families on the
<br />south end of town are cut off by washed-
<br />out roads. Culverts channeling water
<br />under the roads were early victims of
<br />the flood and haven't been replaced.
<br />Foot access to the bomes has been
<br />provided but vehicles can't make it. 1
<br />About 15 people were evsCuated from '
<br />the Oak Creek trsiler park Wednesday
<br />ANOTHER 'VICTIM of the flood night when the reservoir upstream
<br />waters has been the 'town park. Once ' . broke. Two to three hours later It was
<br />offering a football field, playgroUnd, obvious the surge of water would not
<br />picnic tables and restrooms, the park Is threaten the homes, and people
<br />now little more than a mud flat. returned..'
<br />, Knee--deep mud and sUt cove,:, most . Other than minor flooding in some
<br />of the park. Thestream,still runmng out upstre.am homes,no significant 1
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<br />- ---, ~~~~~~t;::Pe~=,,=
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<br />I e~ve damage that will add up very
<br />fast..., '.'
<br />The Town. Board was scheduled to
<br />meet. Tuesday night. in a .~
<br />meeting and then again Wednesday at
<br />Its f\!gu1arly scheduled tIme~to start I
<br />assessing the damage. Town officials
<br />said they will estimate dollar damage
<br />at the meetings and indicated they may
<br />seek state aid. . . , ." . .' ,
<br />I. At last report, the wsters of Oak
<br />Creek were fluctuating day to day but
<br />had receded slgnlflcantly frain ~
<br />periods last week. Cooler. weather Is
<br />thanked for the reprieve, bui plenty of I
<br />snow remains in the high country and
<br />could cause . more.. pr. obJems . if' un-I
<br />seasonably high temperatures, return
<br />.soon. ,. ' '. :.' . ' .
<br />,- . --" "
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<br />Flood waters may ,be receding, but
<br />Oak Creek's worries are far from over"
<br />As of press time Tuesd8y, Oak Creek
<br />did not have running water or proper
<br />sewage disposal, half, the bridges
<br />. connecting the east and west parts of
<br />the town were out and a potential mud
<br />slide threatened to dam Oak Creek and
<br />send a tidal wave through town if the
<br />dam broke. .
<br />
<br />Town residents have been without
<br />potable water since May 15. There was
<br />a two-day period last weekend when the
<br />water WllJl flowing, but even then of-
<br />ficials advised users not to drink it.
<br />
<br />THE TOWN'S SEWAGE treatment
<br />plant was an instant victim of rising
<br />waters. Mud and silt rendered the
<br />facility Inoperable, and raw sewage is .
<br />being pwnped directly Into Oak Creek.
<br />Engineers from Steamboat Springs .
<br />were expected in town earlier this week
<br />to work on the plant.
<br />In order to keep Oak Creek within its
<br />banks, town crews dug channels
<br />through three of the town's four streets
<br />bridging the stream~ Dirt and sandbags
<br />were then piled into dikes to keep the
<br />water from inundating the downtown.
<br />Two of those streets are still im-
<br />passable. The county brought in, a
<br />temporary bridge last week to provide
<br />access, and one east/west street
<br />previously, flooded and blocked by sUt
<br />and mud has been cleared.
<br />Seversl mud slides have blocked I
<br />roads and caused little more than a
<br />nuisance here an..d there. But one. area I
<br />of Oak Creek canyon has the potential
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<br />, THE WATER PROBLEMS started
<br />when town crews were too busy con-
<br />taining the creek to do routine main-
<br />tenance on the town's water treatment
<br />plant. The system needs. daily cleaning
<br />to 'ensure. proper treatment .and
<br />operation.
<br />At that point the town still had water,
<br />It just wasn't fit to drink. Then, on May
<br />23, a reservoir 00 Oak Creek from
<br />which the town draws its water broke,
<br />emptying the impoundment and taking
<br />out from 70 to 100 feet of water lines.
<br />Crews went to work immediately
<br />, setting up' a temporary pumping
<br />station on the creek, but the make-sbift'
<br />system mysteriously stopped
<br />delivering water Monday.
<br />The water crisls has been lessened '
<br />thanks to a couple of Routt County
<br />water tankers and the Jos~h Coors
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