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<br />on the Laramie River, the principal tributary of the North <br />Platte River, and on numerous minor tributaries. Some flooding <br />also occurred along the upper reaches of the 8weetwater River, <br />a secondary tributary of the North Pl atte River. Floodflows on <br />the North Platte River continued into Nebraska where they joined <br />with flows from the South Pla.tte River to cause high stages on <br />the Platte River as far downstream as the mouth of the LOllp River <br />near Columbus. A map of the South Platte River and North Platte <br />River basins is presented on plate 1" and a map of the Platte <br />River basin is shown on plat~ 2. <br /> <br />b. South Platte River 1Jasin. South Platte River tributa.ry <br />streams that exper:lenced flOClding; or that contributed to high <br />stages on the river are Bear Creek, Cherry Creek downstream fTC)IIl <br />Cherry Creek Dam, Clear Cree1<:, 8t.. Vrain Creek, Big Thompson <br />River, and Cache LaPoudre River. Infomat.ion on tributary streams <br />downstream from the mouth of the Cache LaJ'oudre River is not <br />available. There :probably WIts contribution, however, from right- <br />bank tributaries, including 13oxelder, Kimra, Bi,jou, and Bea"er <br />Creeks, as a result of rainfUl on 6 !-la-v 1973. <br /> <br />c. North Platte River llasin. I'Linor lmrland flooding <br />occurred along the' North Pla1;te J~iver between Gray Reef Dam <br />and Glenrock, Wyomi.ng and al(:mg tributary streams including <br />Bates, Deer, Horsenhoe, Boxelder, and LaBonte Creeks. Considerable <br />lowland flooding also occurr<ed at the downstream end of the North <br />Platte River near its conflu'ence with the South Platte River due <br />to backwater effects. <br /> <br />7 . CLI11ATB AND PHECIPITATH.lN <br /> <br />a. Climate. <br /> <br />(1) North Platte River and South Platte River basins. <br />The climate of the upstream :reacheS-~)f the North Platte River-' <br />and South Platte River basins is influenced by similar variations <br />in topographic elevations. Consequently, the climate in both <br />basins is subhumid in the mOUntainous areas, and semiarid in the <br />plains areas. J,ong, cold winters with heavy snow accumulations <br />typify the climate in the higher elevations, whereas in the plains <br />the temperatures fluctuate f:rom cold to moderate. Significant <br />snow accumulations in the plains !lreas are unusual, as snmrfall <br />melts during intervening periods of mild temperatures. In spring <br />and summer, cool temperatures of the mountain elevations usually <br />cause a gradual melting of the snowpack. This runoff sustains <br />streamflow from late spring to midsUlnmer. Along the downst.r'!sm <br /> <br />,. <br />J <br />