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<br />SECTION I <br /> <br />S UM~IAi'( Y <br /> <br />lena Gulch is the drainage outfall for a 13.8~ squar.e mile basin. It <br />has a tributary area which extends into a wide variety of topographic <br />and land use features. I t includes lookout, South Table and Green <br />Mountains, and areas of South Golden, Jefferson County, Northwest Lake-' <br />wood, and Wheat Ridge. Lena Gulch flows approximately eleven miles fron <br />its headwaters on Lookout Mountain east'Nard to it" confluence with Clear <br />Creek about one-half mile east of Kipl ing Street. The stream in the <br />foothil Is, called Apex Gulch, is a rugged and natural stream with fre- <br />quent bedrock outcrops. Below Heritage Square at the toe of the foot- <br />hi lis, Jackson Gulch joins Apex Gulch and the major stream becomes <br />Lena Gulch or what was known as Coon Gulch in the 1920's. <br /> <br />Apex Gulch, Jackson Gulch, and Lena Gulch have all felt impacts of de- <br />velopment. For example: 1) a quarry site to provide rock for Chat- <br />field Dam has increased the runoff from Jackson Gulch; 2) the construc- <br />tion of Heritage Square (Magic Mountain) diverted the Apex Gulch Channel <br />to the north where it is possible for portions of peak flows to go out <br />of basin to Golden; 3) the trailer park developments below the conflu- <br />ence of Jackson and Apex Gulches have filled in the natural thalweg, di- <br />verted the course of the natural stream, and provided only nominal major <br />drainage-way capacity in a system of silt-filled culverts and surface <br />channels;~) Lena Gulch is strewn with Uash and debris; 5) Maple Grove <br />Reservoir has been constructed with a dam and spil h,ay system that is in- <br />capable of withstanding the 100-year flood event; 6) some portions of <br />Lena Gulch below and above Maple Grove Reservoir are treated with re- <br />spect and util ized as an asset, bl'" further below it is again restricted <br />where the Red Barn Furniture Store at 38th and Mi Iler Court is bui It <br />over Lena Gulch. As a result, the Lena Gulch Basin has no continuous, <br />major drainageway outfall other than overland flooding en route to Clear <br />Creek. <br /> <br />During the May, 1973 flood, Lena Gulch received a relatively minor event <br />of less than the lO-year frequency of occurrence. Nonetheless, flooding <br />occurred, particularly downstream in the Wheat Ridge area. Simi lar and <br />worse events are to be expected in the future at Illore freqvent intervals <br />as further urbanization occurs. <br /> <br />This report has investigated the flood potential of Lena Gulch and evaluated <br />several alternatives that can minilnize damages with the best trade-off to <br />costs for improvements. The selected flood control plan for Lena Gulch is <br />a "soft approachll, uti 1 jzing natural features and characteristics vJhere <br />reasonab 1 e. <br /> <br />URBAN DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT <br /> <br />The Urban Drainage and Flood Control District has identified Lena Gulch <br />as being a high-priority item in the continuing program of preparing master <br />plans for major drainages. It has been concluded that corrective measures <br />and Illaster planning for the Lena Gulch basin are needed now, before addi- <br />