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<br />was damaged and the streambank eroded. Between Lincoln Avenue and <br />the Yampa River, Soda creek was from 300 to 500 feet wide, Along the <br />Yampa River, the railroad was badly damaged at several locations <br />between the depot and the upper end of town, Railroad traffic and <br />power generation were interrupted, masses of debris collected at <br />bridges and had to be removed, and other miscellaneous flood damage <br />occurred. Measured stage of the Yampa River in Steamboat Springs <br />indicated a flow of 7000 cubic feet per second, 1000 cubic feet per <br />second greater than any previous flow of record. Flow in Soda Creek <br />was estimated at 2000 cubic feet per second and flow in Walton Creek <br />was measured at 2800 cubic feet per second. <br /> <br />In April 1974, all of the streams in the Steamboat Springs area were <br />higher than at any other time in recent history, but damage occurred <br />principally along Butcherknife Creek. Three days of unseasonably <br />warm weather (which accelerated snowmelt) and a heavy rain triggered <br />flooding that began at 6 p,m, on April 25, and lasted until midnight <br />of the 27th. Flooding of disastrous levels along the Yampa River and <br />Fish Creek was prevented by 200 to 300 volunteer floodfighters who <br />filled and placed sandbags and built emergency berms at critical <br />locations. However, approximately 50 homes along Butcherknife Creek <br />were surrounded by floodwater and approximately 300 homes were <br />threatened. A state of emergency was declared on the 26th. Flow in <br />the river was approximately 500 cubic feet per second above flood <br />stage. There was some structural damage to the foundations, floors, <br />and walls of the 50 homes inundated, but the principal flood losses <br />comprised damage to basement appliances, such as furnaces, water <br />heaters, freezers, washers, and dryers. Other flood losses included <br />the costs of floodfighting and the cost of cleaning rubble covered <br />streets, lawns, and fields. Photographs of the 1974 floods follow. <br /> <br />2.4 Flood Protection Measures <br /> <br />There are no flood control projects that have an effect in the study <br />area, and flood damage prevention comprises emergency operations <br />during floods. The steamboat Springs zoning ordinance does not <br />provide for flood zones, but it does require that the following be <br />submitted to the Planning Commission for consideration if property <br />proposed for development is suspected of being located in whole or in <br />part within a lOa-year flood plain: <br /> <br />a. A flood plain report including a plot of the lOO-year <br />flood plain <br /> <br />b. Cross sections of the stream channel <br /> <br />c. Flow projections <br /> <br />d. The site regrading plan <br /> <br />14 <br />