FLOOD01663

• County: Moffat
• Community: Craig, Moffat County
• Stream Name: Yampa River
• Title: Flood Hazard Information
• Date: 9/30/1987
• Prepared For: Craig, Moffat County
• Prepared By: US Army Corps of Engineers
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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Figure 8. Fortification Cre-ek floodwater in the eastern section of Craig, March 1947. View is westerly
along Highway 40. (Photo by L, g, McCandl.... Craig Empire-Courier,)

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Flood Subsides Thursday
After Ice Jam Breaks

Craig Empire-Gourier-Wednesday,
March 26, 1947

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Bombing
Dynamite
Pack

fd
:FM
ill,.j
m~
Plans Cancelled After f
. Charges Loosen Ice j\
t

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Thr worS! flood Ihal (',,,.is has had in man)' )'rars subsided I
early lasl fhursday mormng as the peak of the mell1ng sno\\' Will,: :
in the hills 10 lbe nortb was reached and the waters of #Ml
Fonificatton Cr['ck were confined to its banks. . ~:
I...ate Wednesda)' e~'ening tbe Kaler came more suongl)' into
the (iTS( block "'4:51 of tbe Creek and il was necessary to
s.andba,~ the doUT al the Gearhart l\.-Iotor Company garage to
prr;"H~.nt flooding the honl ofIice and display room. The fair
grounds were co\'erro and from them a quarter of a mile
further ea~t U.S, 40 was impassable lor any tr;aUic except
lrucks with high clearance. Toward morning, lhe waler
subsided and no rurther lrouble has been caused since.

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\\'ednes.day afternoon; G:nnmissioner Claude !'.I~'er!l
requested ~he Dem'er POSl to s('cure anny sen'Lces and ha~'e a
bomber [ly to Craig to bomb the ice in the ril.:{'r at the mouth
- :,;: of Fonification Creek to permit the ice there to float into the
/ river proper. Members or the Post starr went into action and
- j called in less that an hour to report lhat Washington had
-) giwn permhsioll for a B-29lO fl)' over Craigand drop a bomb
- : and asked lhat f'\'eryone be 'alened to keep the vicinity of the
i bombing clear of persons and !in"nock. Maj. Gen. Olas. F.
. ..~ Born, Commandin,g: General of the Fifteenth Air Force at
; Colorado Springs, orden.-d lhe bomber 3t the Salina, Kansas,
. i base to make the run Thursday morning.
: Just 3S lbe plan was completed, word was recei~'ed in the
. Empire-Courier orfice that lbe ice had been broken in lhe
.: Yampa Ri\'er at the moulh of Fortification Creek so the order
ror the bombing was cancelled,

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Figure 9

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Figure 1 0

Snowmelt flooding from Cedar Mountain Gulch ,outheasterl,. of the jun,Uon of Highway 40 and Colorado 13-789.
Mar,h 26. 1971. (Photographs courte,,. of the Colorado Department of Hlghwa;.,.)

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