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<br />14 inches in four hours near Palmer Lake, were the pri- <br />mary cause of flooding in the South Platte. Lesser <br />amounts of precipitation, 2 inches to 4 inches, had <br />fallen over the area prior to the deluge ne~r Palmer Lake. <br /> <br />Flood problems in the area have not only been the result <br />oj rare storm events, but also of improper flood plain <br />development. Visual accounts of floods have noted the <br />debris which was picked up by the flood waters. Included <br />were natural debris of trees, rock, and soil, but mostly <br />items foreign to the flood plain such as houses, <br />automobiles, lumber, butane storage tanks, and other <br />flotsam. With these items plugging bridges and culverts, <br />flood heights rise and cause more extensive damage. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Property which was not structurally damaged by flood <br />depths and velocities experienced much damage and clean-up <br />cost related to mud and silt deposition and property <br />erosion (Reference 2). <br /> <br />Sheet flow occurs within the city on the lower reaches <br />of Little Creek and Slaughterhouse Gulch. In both <br />areas, limited capacity storm sewer systems have been <br />installed which are inadequate for the larger events. <br />Once the sewer system capacity is exceeded, floodways <br />will proceed downstream to the Platte River following a <br />multitude of routes along streets and across private <br />property. <br /> <br />Scenes of past flooding in and around the Littleton area <br />are shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5. The pictures were <br />taken from. photographic records (Reference 5). <br /> <br />2.4 Flood Protection Measures <br /> <br />with the history of major flooding on the South Platte <br />River through 1933 and with the culmination of planning, <br />design and construction of the Cherry Creek Reservoir in <br />1950, the Denver Metropolitan Area saw the need for an <br />additional flood control structure on the South Platte <br />River just downstream of the confluence with Plum Creek. <br />During the 1950's, planning and design for a flood con- <br />trol reservoir was completed for Chatfield to initiate <br />and complete construction. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />In 1973, final closure of the dam was made and the facil- <br />ity became capable of storing tributary flood waters. <br />All the related reservoir improvements are scheduled to <br />be completed and totally operational by 1976. Chatfield <br />Dam is located approximately one-half mile above the <br />Littleton corporate limits. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />6 <br />