FLOOD01056

• County: Jefferson
• Title: Floods in the Bear Creek Watershed
• Date: 1/1/1990
• Prepared For: Jefferson County
• Prepared By: USFWS
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Documentation Report

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'!:lIentY-lIeven porsons 'fIere drowned in 1696, :tin in 1933: B1X-1n1934~
ll!li six in 1938. From the !\vn.llRble records U. ll)'l;1eo.n that I'.r.a nood
of lc,9o 'lf1'19 of the t;reateat l\lP..gXli tude on Bij~.r Creek above the Il\:luth of
llt. Vernon Creek at Morrbon, e.nd those of 1934 and 1938 were the grea.test
on ~t. Vernon Creek.

i 'The followhlg statBClents regarding the noods l::an been ob-
,,, teinotl from the Bources indicated, and while I!IIl.Il1 of them conh.in no
';,1 definLte statements regnrdir.g peal: etsgB or d1schal:'b'!, thoy do help COllP
plete tM picture of' the frequel1CY 01' BelU' Creek flood"
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l""r',' ,', 'file e;:{{ellt flood on Ben.r Creek of ",botoh axl1 r.lent1on MS been
,1 found, oocurred l.(n;y 22. 1816. The Colol'!l.cO Transcript of t!<.Y 24, 1816.
.! pulllhhed in Golden, I1IGntions tb..'l.t MConsiderahle tl!\n\?~e 111 reported to
',f ro,"dll nnd. bridr,Bs in all,- direotions.", The storm which C&UIIe<i thh nood
""1 is desoribed by the 'rl'Dnlloript. as 1'0110\'1$1
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On SUnd'.lY night llltt (Mej 21) a violent rain storm llet s.n.
IlCCOlllnanied durin.g the night by he!l.VY thunder and l1ghtniog,
which hall rroved to be t',a lD.Oat severe of ~ .record ad in this
latitude for year.. Rain oec,sed felline \bnde,;y night. tho extra-
ordlnar.r quantity of 4.50 inella!! baving fallen. being nearly halt
our average ;yearly llupply. · .. · The sto= in the 1B?"lmt.sl.nll
M$'U!:led tho form of anow. .OM rUtesn inches having fallen at
:Slack E.allk.

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'fi1o Denver :Rocq l.kmnta.1n 1Iew. of \lay 23. 1816. sqs ot the stom,

At 10 0' oloek ('P.1II.. \.{!\Y' 21) after e. tewfiashes of' l1ghtn1ng
and all Illa1lY fla9l:ell or thunder, a stom of SO,''. h..-lil IUlil. ra~
set in. '!'he anow and bail. howenr. ':lOll. ifiVll plp.ce to rain.
which from ordinary drops increased to perfect ,heeh of wter.

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It began stoming in the lllOuntll.1.nll - that h, high up in
'the ftlunte.in regions - early SundAy ().lay 21) evening. At :t'1ut
it seemed a 'fIeek attemlo alo a. .,.,ring an.ower but 1)7 midnight 111
had turned into l!l. !;erri!1o snowfall, ll.CcOmn".nied 1)y soma wind.
It snowed all night. all ;resterdB.7 forenoon (U!\Y' 22). IUld snow
'lml ,t111 falling at last accounh 1n the atternoon · · ,. (..hen)
oOl!ll1llJUoat1on 'Iffl.!1 cut off with the · · -hill CO";J.Ilt17. (Lt
least a foot of llnow at Central City aDd eighteen inches to t.wo
feet at BlaCkhawk.)

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· ,. . '1'he sno-.-lilUt _s obaerved to be at 'BeltYsr :Brook;
from there on down into the 'rIllll'3' the fll.ll 'flas 1I108tl;\" rain.

· · ,. the .torm raged here (Denver) all Sl1ndo.yn1e}\t .Ub.
unalIated severit.y. Along tow.u-d. d"yl1ght t.he wind incre!lsed.
frCl:\ a st!!i' breus to' !itful bl!t!lh that aet eva17th1De; loost
to rattling lUld. banging. ...... (The stom) continu.ed debt alone
all the torenoon. checked up 8. l1ttledurlng the e.th1110011