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<br />The headwate~s of CottonwOOd C~eek a~e I~ tie oo~l- <br />fe~ covered Black Forest. but ~st 01 the basin is typified as a <br />semi~arld high plal~ that is commo~ ~ear the foothills of the Rocky <br />Mountains. The 18.71 square mIle d~al nage area Is mostly roiling <br />hili s covered 'III th spa~se g~asse5 and sagebrush. The stream a lo~g <br />most of Its basin Isooeplyeroded Intorockoutcrollplngs, and Ilred <br />'III th willows and coni fe~s In th9 lower ~each. A th~ee mIle ~each <br />above Academy Bouleva~d is cha~acterl zed as a broad b~alded channel <br />with low bankS lined with cottonwood trees. <br />Cottonwood Creek Is an epheme~al stream except In <br />scattered locatlonswhererockoutcropplngsforcegroundwaterto <br />the surface. The stream Is classified as straight with a sinuosity <br />of 1.2 and relatlvoly steap with an averago gradient of 89 feet por <br />mile. The average cl1annal "Idth wltl1ln tile study reach Is 92 feat. <br /> <br />I <br />, <br />I <br /> <br />BACKGROLtNOINFOR1-1ATlQN <br /> <br />Settlement <br /> <br />EI Paso County w~s explored by Lieutenant Zebulon M. <br />Pike In 1806 who attempted to climb the peak that bears his nall'e. <br />The fl~st white settlers In the county were gold hunters from <br />Kansas who founded the town of E I Do~aOo In 1859. On the sa"", 51 te. <br />the town of EI Paso (Spanish - the pass) had bee~ laid out the yea~ <br />before. The n~me of EI Do~ado was changed to Colorado City and was <br />the original county seat of EI Paso County. <br />General Palmer founded ColoradO Sprl~gs I~ 1871 as a <br />community to attract and hold peepl9 of means and social standing <br />cltlzen~y of ".. .good moral character and strict temperance habl ts." <br />Colo~ado Springs profited g~eatly from the dlscove~y of gold at <br />Cripple Creak. IOlthlna few months of the flrststr!keIn 1891. <br />five minIng exchanges were operating In the city. Thedecllneof <br />ColoradO City and the prosperi ty of ColoradO Sprl ngs ~esulted [n <br />the moving of the county seat to Colorado Springs and the eventual <br />absorption of the town In 1917. <br />The decll ne of the C~lppl e Crook/Victor gol d MI naS In <br />1914 forced the county to ~avltallze the tourism industry. This <br />was accomp Ilshed In large part by Spence~ Penrose who constructed <br />the Broadmoor Hotel on Cheyenne MountaIn In 1917. The area's eco~ <br />nomy was given additional st~ength by the const~uctlon of Camp Car~ <br />sOn in 1942, PeTorsen Field, one yoa~ !~tc~, the ,>,[ r Force ,'.C;:ldcmy <br /> <br />TABLE I <br /> <br />DRAINAGE AREAS IN WATERSHEO OF COTTONWOOD CREEK <br /> <br />Lecatlon Alonq ,~ttonwood Creek <br /> <br />Black Ferest PDad Bridge <br />Cowpoke PDad Bridge <br />Bluebell Drive Crossing <br />Acacerny80ulevard80xCulverts <br />Confluence wIth Monument Creek <br />South Tributary <br />North TrIbutary <br /> <br />In 195B, sr.d the NORAD Installat!on unde~ Cheyenne Mountain In <br />1961. <br /> <br />TheStream,)nd Its Valley <br />Cottonwood Creek originates In the6lack Forest eleven <br />miles east of the AI~ Force Academy and flows southwestly to Its <br />cont I uence 'oIlth Monument C~eek r>ear the Interchange of Interstate <br />25 and Woodmen Road. Elevations IntrebaSln range frorr7580rNlan <br />Sea level (ms II nea~ th,; community 01 Ell ack Forest to an ,.,Ievatlon <br />0;6232 msl at Its cOnfluence. <br /> <br />1-11 Ie <br />Above <br />Mouth <br /> <br />ContrIbuting <br />Drainage <br />,~" <br /> <br />7.99 <br />7.04 <br />U" <br />1.52 <br />o <br />o <br />o <br /> <br />3.45 <br />5.80 <br />16.05 <br />17.06 <br />18.71 <br />1.02 <br />1.83 <br /> <br />2 <br />