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<br />Paleoflood data <br /> <br />Extensive onsite work was done in the upper Big Thompson drainage <br /> <br /> <br />basin upstream from Estes Park. The purpose was to investigate whether <br /> <br /> <br />there was any stratigraphic or geomorphic evidence of large post-glacial <br /> <br />floods in any of the valleys draining into Lake Estes, which is formed by <br /> <br />Olympus Dam. Extensive use was made of the sediment and landform evidence <br /> <br /> <br />left from the flood of the 1982 Lawn Lake Dam failure (Jarrett and Costa, <br /> <br /> <br />1985). Although this was not a rainfall-produced flood, the sediments and <br /> <br /> <br />landforms eroded and deposited by the flood were unique and distinctive. <br /> <br /> <br />This included huge boulder deposits and an alluvial fan that are so large <br /> <br /> <br />and distinctive that the occurrence during post-glacial times (approxi- <br /> <br /> <br />mately 10,000 years ago until the present) of any other flood of similar <br /> <br /> <br />magnitude in the other valleys draining to the site should be easy to <br /> <br /> <br />recognize. <br /> <br />~r <br />