Laserfiche WebLink
<br />. <br /> <br />STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />Conununitv Description <br />Town of Grand Lake is located in north central Colorado just on the west slope of the Continental <br />Divide. Hot Sulphur Springs is the County Seat of Grand County. The estimated population for the <br />Town of Grand Lake is 329, and the estimated population for the entire county is 10,140 (1998 <br />estimates from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs). Highway 34 is the major north-south <br />highway that serves the community. The town of Grand Lake serves as the western gateway to the <br />beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park. The area studied for the FIRM is the incorporated area of <br />the Town of Grand Lake as of January 1, 1986. <br /> <br />Watershed Description <br />The Colorado River watershed has its headwaters in Grand County at elevations in excess of 13,000 <br />feet along the Continental Divide. The Colorado mainstem flows from north to south into Shadow <br />Mountain Lake where it then discharges into Grand Bay of Lake Granby. The Grand Lake water <br />body is the largest natural lake in Colorado and is hydraulically connected to Shadow Mountain <br />Lake via a short canal. Tonahutu Creek, one of the subject flooding sources shown on the FHBM, <br />has its headwaters at elevations in excess of 12,000 feet in the vicinity of Sprague Mountain. Little <br />Columbine Creek discharges from Columbine Lake, which is located just to the northwest of Grand <br />Lake. Flows into Columbine Lake originate from the Tonahutu Creek watershed and are diverted <br />into the lake via a manmade ditch. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Floodinl!: Problems and Floodinl!: Historv <br />Flooding in the Grand Lake area has not been significant, but would normally occur during the <br />spring and early summer months due to rapid melt of mountain snowpack. Flooding on small <br />tributaries in the county may occur in the summer months as a result of intense localized <br />thunderstorms or general rainstorms. A combination of rainfall and snowmelt can sometimes prove <br />to be the worst flooding scenario for Colorado's mountain streams. The largest annual peak flows <br />on the Colorado River and its tributaries have almost always happened in April, May, and June. <br /> <br />There have been a number of high water events on the tributary streams in the Grand Lake area, <br />however no major/catastrophic floods have been recorded in the Town. Grand Lake is situated in a <br />high elevation area and protection afforded by the surrounding mountains has allowed Grand Lake <br />to avoid serious flash flooding. <br /> <br />Previous Studies <br />The initial publication of flood hazards in Grand Lake occurred on August 15, 1975 with revisions <br />to the Flood Hazard Boundary Map on September 17, 1976. The Flood Insurance Rate Map <br />became effective on January I. 1986 by letter from FEMA. There have been no revisions to the <br />Flood Insurance Rate Map since that time. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Conununitv Response to the CWCB Desil!:nation and Approval Process <br />A letter from the CWCB was transmitted to Town of Grand Lake regarding the Board's proposed <br />action for designation and approval of the Grand Lake FIRM. Local officials notified the CWCB of <br /> <br />2 <br />