FLOOD01718

• County: Montrose
• Community: Montrose
• Stream Name: Uncompahgre River
• Title: City of Montrose Flood Control and Drainage Plan
• Date: 5/1/1981
• Prepared For: Montrose
• Prepared By: Gingery Associates, Inc.
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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A "F1 ood 11l$Urdll~e Study" for the City of )loOn trose ; s currentl y
being prepared by MS~ Consultants. Inc. of Denver. Colorado un-
der contract with th€ Federal Insurance Adrninistration, federal
E~rgellcy MJnage~ent Ag~ll'Y.

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STUDY AREA

The study area has been defined as the City of Montrose, Colorado and its
water sE'rvice area east of the Uncompahgre River. This area ;s confined by
Otter Road on the south, approximately Lincoln Road on the north, and extends
east to about road 6700. Thh is an ar~d of about ten square miles and ill~
eludes a s~11 urbanized area west of the railroad which drains to the Uncom-
pahgre River. The lower reaCh of Cedar Creek north of the water service area,
to its confluence with the Uncompahgre River, is also included in the study.

Basin Characteristics
The City of Montrose and its water service area west of the Uncompahgre
River lie in the lower portions of the basins of three well defined water
cou rses . These streams are Ceda r Creek, ~,1on trose Arroyo, a nd Dry Ceda r Creek.
Montrose Arroyo flows through the center of Montrose, and is tributary to
Cedar Creek. Both Cedar Creek and Dry Cedar Creek are tributary to theUncom-
pahgreRiver. CedorCt'eek flows through and along the northern lxIundaryof
the city, while Dry Cedar Creek passes thecitynedr its southern bou nddry.
The headwaters of Cedar Creek originate in the Cimmarron Ridge area at
an elevation of approximately 9,400 feet. Thecreekflowsinageneral1ywesterly
direction, through the northeastern portion of the City of Montrose to the
Uncompahgre River,ata point approximately three miles northwe stofrlontrose.
The C~ar Creek drainage basin is approximately 56.3 sguare miles, (see Figure 1).
The upper reaches of Montrose Arroyo lie approximately seven miles east of
Montrose at an elevation of approximately 7,500 feet. Thestreamflowsina
northwesterly direction through the City of Montrose to its confluence with
Cedar Creek, irrl1lediate ly northwest of the City. The drain~ge area tributary
to Montrose Arroyo is approximately 17.8 square miles. The Montro~e Arroyo
drainage basin al~o contains ITlQst of the urbanized area of the city itself.
This highly developed area is flatter than the rest of the basin, and lies
Lelo~ 6,000 feet ele~ation.

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