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<br />Development has occurred up to the steep, incised <br />channels on the tributaries. The flood plain on the <br />South Platte River in the past was mostly agricultural; <br />but today, commercial, industrial, and residential <br />development has encroached into the flood plain. In <br />various reaches of the citY'$ flood plains, development <br />pressures continue to exist. ,The city government, with <br />the support of many citizens, is actively working to <br />retain the open space of the flood plain areas. <br /> <br />2.3 Principal Flood Problems <br /> <br />The South Platte River flows 'through the western edge of <br />the City of Littleton in shifting channels with broad, <br />shallow beds and low, flat overbanks. The other streams <br />in the community, tributary to the South Platte River, <br />are ephemeral and flow in steep, narrow channels. <br /> <br />All the streams studied have seen various structural <br />improvements, but the intense and infrequent thunder- <br />storms characteristic of the area can generate floods <br />much in excess of existing structural capacities. <br /> <br />In 1844 and 1864, reports read that "bottomlands near <br />Denver were covered with water bluff to bluff". By <br />1876, encroachment into the flood plain had developed <br />to such an extent that on Hay 23, 1876, the Rocky <br />Hountain News reported that "(The South Platte River) <br />was higher to be sure -- several feet higher perhaps in <br />1864 -- but it was not able to work such destruction at <br />that time as now. There was! not so much town here in <br />1864, as now, nor as many brldges". <br /> <br />The large magnitude floods on the river in 1894, 1921, <br />1933, and 1965 had estimated discharges in Denver of <br />14,000 cfs, 14,000 cfs, 22,000 cfs, and 40,300 cfs, <br />respectively. <br /> <br />All the floods of record on ~he South Platte River have <br />been the result of snow melt, and heavy rains in the <br />mountain tributaries from the west orinten,se rains over <br />the eastern tributaries. <br /> <br />Orthographic effects combined with regional meteorological <br />characteristics have generat'ed a number of high intensity <br />rainstorms in an area generally to the southwest of the <br />study area resulting in mani floods in the community. The <br />1933 flooding in Littleton was the result of heavy rains <br />in the Big Dry Creek and Plum Creek basins to the south <br />and east. In 1965, heavy r~ins to the southwest, <br /> <br />5 <br />