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<br />Li tt Ie Dry Creek 1 s the nGxt dow~st,,,,,,,, trlbut",v. T~ I"
<br />b~s in 15 adjacent end para lie I +0 th"t of fJi~ Dry Cre(Jk ~"d OilS a
<br />g9~er~ I simi lar I+y. To~ wdtershed co~t,,; ns 2j contrl buti n9 '1,""r"
<br />..,il'lSdlld hilS ,JmilxiMU.,w.idt'1 ot 3.5 rciles illld an approxirr.a ta len'lt"
<br />of 13 mi les, Th Is bas; n, I I ko tM~t of I!;q Dry Creek, cxtollds fro",
<br />tne highl"nds Ir ficr.rhoi!storn L.)ougl~s Ccunh t1lr<.1ugl1 hi lis w..ll-
<br />dissected by gullies, and slopes nor+h'"esh'ard to toe Sout'1 Platte
<br />illvor, Thehllls tond to be rU9ged near th(J oighlands and r:'Qre roiling
<br />In too le'wer ~asin. Tho 'Tnl n steM haaes Milr Intflrstata Hlgow~y 25
<br />I~ ArilJaMoG County at about elevation 5,750 feet. moan 5ea level.
<br />~nd ~ pr i n<; i pie tr i butary, 'iii I 10\',' Creek, or I ~ I nates 1 n t~,c hi gM lands
<br />of nortoern Doug lils COunty ilt e lev~t;on 6,300 feet, "'eon SO" levo I,
<br />The stre""'" f low nort~~'a5torly to a j"nction near Soufh Holly St~eef;
<br />L.IH Ie Dry Creek conti ~ues nortnwGster Iy througr. 8rean"oo~ and Cherry
<br />HillsYillages to",ed tr,,, 50'lt., Pla'ttoR;vcr In E~gle"~,,tan
<br />elevatl,,~ cf about 5,2GC feat, "'oan soa leva I, The s+reiJr:' v~ Iley In
<br />the upper w~ter5hed Is very n~rrow, with a steer-sided, V-sh~ped,
<br />cross section. 60 low tllc .,.,'lllc'" Crae~-L.ltt I" Dry Creek junction the
<br />~treal11 Is ",ore sinuolJS ~nd th~ v,'lloy wldems " 11.t;-le, .~vf'r~~irrc1 a
<br />quartflr-mlla aCrOSs. Stroom sIOD"5 ,lre rei ~tive Iy sten~, "vera'] i ng
<br />75 foet per mi Ie from tile hcadw~tors to tl"l Lltt I e rJrv-V;IIIDw Crecks
<br />eont I uenee ilnd 56 t""Jt per Oli I c for the ""Cd I nder. Tho '~pper PQrtio~
<br />of b<J w~t<:r~,h.,J Is corop' iS8U of roll in,;, b,."r"", ury ,,~r. icu j lurd I
<br />land wi tM se~rt"rod re3ldoncos. Tho 10'lor ,crtio~ Is hi'1h Iy devc loped
<br />,lI,d COn~ i 3fs of tho bus i ne55 and residontla I section of Eng le'.<cClu "nd
<br />ost<lte..type res identiill (leva lopment I n the SU~urb~n ~rO<l. City l)1 tc~
<br />end High II no C~n~ I bl SGr.t the lo'.<er b~s I n, i ntcrccpj.i n'l S id<l e,; II run-
<br />off and ~GYcra I ~"",II dr~ I n~r,e5.
<br />8reon"oo.o .3" leh, ~ r;ejor tributary of LI t~ I" :Jrv Crflek,
<br />i:; IOC.Jted I n the Englow<:>o<:! "re~, The b"si n is 011 i pse-shapec, aoou1
<br />6rrl1os in ler>gth wirh a ""xi"1um '.< 1 rlth of 2l11iles,llnddralns 7.G
<br />'quare roile<;, roe ~asln heiles near Intor5t~te Hl()h'w~V 25 e~s~ ot
<br />L.ittleton In ,~~~p;lh()e County, Jnd ~Ioa'::"~ nort'1w"'sh1r~, Tht'
<br />
<br />topogreD~Y Is ch.Jri;lcter i zod by ro III ng hill s.
<br />westw~rd from Its sourCe tMrougo Greenwood and
<br />
<br />T~o str"a~ flDws r.orth-
<br />ChorryHillsl'illages.
<br />
<br />As the stre~m enters tMo developed oort Ion of t"e b~si n, it is ~jvGrt~,l
<br />Into CIty Ditch. Flows from Groenw'ood Gulch ')xcoeeing th<:l ditch C'lpilC-
<br />Ity follo'w ~n overland route to the LlHIf' Dry C~o,,;, ch~,"nGI abovG
<br />South Clilrkson Street. EI(!vaflOns range alon~ the '.<ateroourso fram
<br />about 5,700 foet, "'<Jan soo I,wel, to ~bout S, ,SI') feet, mean se~ I,wel.
<br />Tho va Iley Is about a qu~rtsr mi Ie 'wide, but no~r the upper end It Is
<br />st<ffl)-sldedandnarrower. Eleglnnlng ebout" Olileupstre<lm froroEngle-
<br />wood. Groenwood Gu Ich para I Ie Is ~nd sn"res the same v" Iley with Lltt io
<br />Dry Croek, Tho avorage slope of toe stre~111 through tMe midjle and
<br />lower roaches Is "bout 30 feet perrlllo,
<br />The cM"llncls ot ~Ig end L.lttle Dry Creeks ~re cap~~le of
<br />containing d;sciarges from ~inor storms but fl~"5 resulting trom infro~
<br />c:ue~t, sovere, Mlgh-i nter1sity ra I nf~ II cxceed co"nno I eepac It 'I neilr Iy
<br />thrOUghQut. This flood thre~t is not ..oil kno..n ~nd ur~ilnlzdlo" na5
<br />occurred "ltMout reg~rd for the hazord.
<br />~rbanlz~tion, com~risins develop~~ts In ~,"d near Engle-
<br />'wood, L.iHleto,1, and Gre"n'"ood '/lllage, dominates the lo...er 5 ",lies
<br />of Rig Dry Creek basin, orapproxi..,atoly tnelower oalf. TMuoper
<br />~il~ln trom about ~ mil" north ot th" Ari'~aMoe-rJou"l~s County line 15
<br />stili devoted to crop~i -"g and graz; nr,. The 5uburban cOI'"1'I1unitlcs In
<br />recont yoars h~vc h0cr, adv~nci "'l steadi Iy ljpstr~.Jr. I t is antielp;:,ted
<br />that by 198C residential jevelepmont ~ay roac~ t~e SOJth edge of
<br />Arapahoe County end by 20JO, m~y occury th~ less rUa0ed rilrts of the
<br />upperhasin.
<br />
<br />5i nCO t'\O e$t~b I isn'11ant of Eng le"ood ne~~ the ,"outh of
<br />Littlo8ryCraekiJtthCibaginnin101 theconturv, andospecially
<br />since Wor Id '~ar II, vrbanl z~tlon ias bOfln rrogreS51 nl up the Little
<br />Ilry r.~"ei< h~sin, F~gl"wnod 'l'""" on Willow r.r,,~k ne"r the mldrolnt of
<br />the basi n, I s bel ng aporo<'c~e~ frDm the west, north. and aast by
<br />scatteradreside"tlaldevoIOD",,,nt, Urbanlz"tlonm"vaxtendtothe
<br />Arapahoe-DoJ01~s County II~e end Darts oi tna upDer basin by ye~r Iq8~
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