FLOOD02211

• County: Eagle
• Community: Vail
• Stream Name: Bighorn Creek
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Title: 2003 Flood Documentation Report, Vail Colorado Flood of May 31st, 2003
• Date: 1/1/2004
• Prepared For: CWCB
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Documentation Report

Hydroloe:ic and Hydraulic Conclusions

The Eagle River is the major river in the Vail area. This river flows to the west through
the area where it receives inflow from several creeks in the region. Bighorn Creek is on
the eastern end ofto\Vll and flows to the south lllltil its confluence vvith Gore Creek. Gore
Creek continues to the west lllltil its confluence with the Eagle River.

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Figure 1.15 - Map of Vail Colorado Showing the Surrounding Creeks.

A Flood Insurance Study (FIS) was available for the City of Vail. This document
included flood profiles for Bighorn Creek, as well as a summary of peak discharges at a
United States Geological Survey (USGS) Gage (#661) along the creek, just upstream of
the confluence vvith Gore Creek. Recent gage flow data, including data from the evening
of the stonn, was then obtained with the help of the USGS. The highest recorded peak
flow during the stonn was then compared to the peak discharge values from the Flood
Insurance Study in order to approximate an event frequency. The results of this analysis
are summarized below in Table 1.1.

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