FLOOD01274

• County: Rio Blanco
• Community: Meeker
• Stream Name: White River, Sulphur Creek
• Title: Floodplain Information Report Hydrology
• Date: 8/1/1976
• Prepared For: Meeker
• Prepared By: Merrick & Company
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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1 v. HI5TORu; i'LuuDING

The Town of Meeker and adjacent areas included in this study are subject to

periodic flooding from the White River and Sulphur Creek, and from runoff from the

Sanderson Heights area. The climate of the study area and the differing nature of

the watersheds and streams subjects the area to floods of three basic types: snow-

melt, ice jams and convective thunderstorms. In the past, spring runoff due to

melting snow in the high mountain watershed above Meeker has caused the highest

water levels in the White River for the longest periods of time. Ice jams, caused by

Chinook winds melting snow at higher elevations and temperature inversions freezing

the water at obstacles in the river, have also occurred in the White River in and near

Meeker. Periodic floods on Sulphur Creek occur from melting snow, but convective

thunderstorms also cause frequent and high runoff flows of short duration.

A U.S. Geological Survey stream gaging station on the White River 2-1/2 miles

above Meeker has been in operation every year since 1910, and the records show

that the largest yearly peaks occur in the late Spring and early Summer with the

periods of high runoff from melting snow lasting from two to three months. The

largest recorded annual flood occurred on_June 16, 1921:1 from melting snow. Ac-

cording to the account in the Meeker Herald, it was a record high water mark for the

White River in Meeker, at least since the town was founded in the early 1880' s. The

recorded flow was 6 ,370 cubic feet per second, which is of the magnitude of a flood t--

occurring once ih 100 years. (Damage resulting from that flood consisted of inundation
L_ ~ .
of low lying meadowland adjacent to the White River and a waShed out culvert bridge.

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