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<br />Canon City Flood Hweard Mitigation Plan <br /> <br />8/26193 <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />Purpose and Scope <br /> <br />Canon City residents continue to lose thou- <br />sands of dollars in public and private invest- <br />ment due to flooding. The flash flood of <br />August 12, 1991 was a recent reminder of <br />Canon City's continuing vulnerability, The <br />aftermath of that storm has prompted the <br />development of this plan which identifies <br />steps that Canon City can take to reduce the <br />impacts of future flooding, The Canon City <br />Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan highlights the <br />city's flood problem, and outlines the current <br />and future opportunities for flood hazardmiti- <br />gation in the area. <br /> <br />This plan focuses on the incorporated limits of <br />Canon City that are at risk to flooding, includ- <br />ing areas affected by the nearby Arkansas <br />River and those subject to flash floods from <br />arroyos and cloudbursts. However, mitigation <br />opportunities may lie outside city boundaries, <br />which means that certain actions may require <br />the cooperation of Fremont County as well. <br /> <br />Many people contributed to the development <br />of this document, including local community <br />members, city leaders and officials, and State <br />and Federal Emergency Management offi- <br />cials. It will require the continued cooperation <br />of these individuals to see that the hazard <br />mitigation proposals presented in this plan <br />are carried through. <br /> <br />Community Description <br /> <br />Canon City lies in south-central Colorado in <br />the foothills of Colorado's Front Range and <br />Sangre De Cristo Mountains, Canon City is <br />approximately 46 miles southwest of Colorado <br />Springs in the eastern portion of Fremont <br /> <br />CHAffEE <br />COUNTY <br /> <br />( PARK COUNTY <br /> <br />1;REM~NT .c <br /> <br /> <br />PUEBlO <br />QUNlY <br /> <br />CUSTER COUNTY <br /> <br />Figure 1 - CalWn City Location <br /> <br />County. 1990 Census estimates a population <br />of about 12,657 people within the 7.8 square <br />mile corporate limits. Ranching, tourism, <br />mining, and several state prisons support the <br />local economy" <br /> <br />Commercial development is concentrated <br />along Highway 50 and Main Street with resi- <br />dential areas spreading beyond. The flood- <br />plains of all the flooding sources considered in <br />this plan are essentially fully developed. The <br />semi-arid climate with frequent cloudbursts <br />in the summer months of June, July, and <br />August have produced recurrent floods of high <br />intensity and short duration in these areas. <br /> <br />The August 12, 1991 Flood <br /> <br />Canon City's worst flood since 1965 hit hard <br />at 3:45 p.m. on August 12, 1991. The city was <br />yet another in Colorado to experience the dev- <br />astating effects of flash flooding. Anywhere <br />from 1 to 6 inches of rain had been reported to <br />fall on portions of the city within a 45 minute <br />period. Prior to this storm, the soil in the area <br />had been saturated with water from previous <br />rainfall, creating an ideal environment for <br />flooding. <br /> <br />1 <br />