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<br />taking place since then. Thus, thE' :relatively minor flood <br />damages that were recorded priClr to 'World War II are not <br />indicative of recent flood damages o:r of future flood IX>tentiELls" <br />The record-breaking :flood of JlJ,ne 1965 caused damages within <br />Metropolitan Denver estimated at $325 million. Total direct Em1 <br />indirect damages throughou.t th~ South Plattc River 'basin were <br />estimated to be in e:Kcess of $400 million. <br /> <br />(2) North Platte Riv~ bELsin. 'rhcre have been no <br />highly destructive floods on the North Platte River. The river <br />is highly developed and controUed for irrigation. Existing <br />irrigation storage works provide some control of the floodflo'i/S. <br />During the May 1971 flood on the North Platte River, the highest <br />recorded stages on the river W~re .~perienc",d. Flooding occurred <br />from the mouth of the Laramie lUver near Laramie, Wyoming, to <br />Lewellen, Nebraska. Total dallll1ges from this flood amounted. to <br />$210,000. <br /> <br />(3) Platte River basin. Records of flooding in t.he <br />Platte River basin prior to 1930 are limited. The maximum peak <br />discharge of record on the riVer upstream from the IOOuth of the <br />LeUp River was 44,100 cubic feet pIer sE.'Cond. This 1"'1ow was <br />recorded in June 1905. Since 1930, 23 floods have been recorded. <br />These have ranged in magnitude from minor floods to major events <br />which caused considerable property dama,ge and, in several <br />instanc es, resulted in loss of human li,fe. The flood season <br />extends from Februar:r through August., ,rith .June usually recording <br />the greatest number of floods. The flood of record on the Platte <br />River downstream from the Leup River occurred in March 1960 when <br />a discharge of 124,000 cubic feet pE,r second was recorded on the <br />gage at South Bend, Nebraska. The most damaging flood, however, <br />occurred in June 1967 when extensiVE' agricultural losses were <br />sustained . <br /> <br />8. ECONOMIC CHARACfERISTICS <br /> <br />a. South Platte River basin. The drainage area of the <br />South Platte River basin encompassell 21.,300 square miles, of <br />which 19,300 square miles are in Colorado, 3,000 in Nebraslta, <br />and 2,000 in Wyoming. About 25 percent of the basin consists <br />primarily of lOCluntain ranges, and the remainder is characterized <br />by broadly terraced plaIns lands. About 82 percent of the ba,sin <br />is in farms and ranches. II) terms of value, livestock and live-, <br />stock products represent the princi];>al agri,cultural commodIties <br />of the basin. <br /> <br />7 <br />