|
<br />year floods. However, it doos not contain
<br />recommendations for solving- flood problems
<br />or plans for uWO of flood plain arCas beCBm.e
<br />thcseactivitie, are the ,'esponsibilitie, of local
<br />.s;:overnment,.
<br />
<br />larg('ly uevotec!to agricultural pur&uito. Some
<br />ofthefirstorehardsinthe'.alleywe....plantl~j
<br />inthel'alisadear<eaberuuseofeasilyaccessi.
<br />ble water, rich "oil. and "uitable climate.
<br />Around 1884. some of the earlier inhabitants
<br />of the rel{ion ('onstructed the I'ricc Ditch,
<br />which aided in perpetuating inU'rest in and
<br />l("rowth of the wwn and adjacent a~ricultural
<br />areas. The town wasincorpo,'ated in 1904 and
<br />the population wa,~""timated at51l0 in 19{15.
<br />f;"r1y in the 20th Century. Pali'5"de gained
<br />prominence for it", excellent fruit products.
<br />
<br />INTRODUCTION
<br />
<br />PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF REPORT
<br />The purlMlC of this report is to d~scribe
<br />and illustrate the flood h:izard inthcvicini~'
<br />of I'alisad~. Me,,, County. Colorado. The
<br />report will aid in planning the best u,e of
<br />lands5ubjedtoinundationfroml00-and500.
<br />
<br />LIMITS OF STUDY
<br />
<br />The report covers the Colorado River inthl'
<br />vicinity ofl'ali&uk from about the Intel"'tate
<br />Hi~hway 70 bridge east of Palisade
<br />downstream to 32 Rtmd. adistanceofabout 10
<br />
<br />ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
<br />The :>acraml'nto Distri~t, Cnrp" of
<br />En~in.ers, gratefully acknowledges the
<br />a,sist.an~e "nd eo(}peration of The /'oliMdR
<br />Trimme; the (;rawl V~II('lj Galdle; th,' town of
<br />palisade; variou, Ml'sa County a~enei<"".
<br />
<br />DRAINAGE AREA
<br />
<br />miles. At Palisade, the river flows along the
<br />eastern boundary of the town. Plate 1 is a
<br />general map of the ar"a.
<br />
<br />TheColoradu River rises high intheRo~ky
<br />Mountains on tbe w""tern slop~ of the Con-
<br />tinmtal Divide. The river flows in a general
<br />soutbwest"rly c(}urse from its headwater
<br />regions to the vicinity of I'alisade and Grand
<br />Junction where it turns to the northwe:Jt for
<br />most of its remaining course in Colorado.
<br />~;le"ations range from abollt 4700 fHet at
<br />PalisadH to mOre than 12.000 fl'-ct in the
<br />headwater regions. Climat<-ofthe area is arid
<br />to.>emi.arid with yearly precipitation averall:-
<br />jng a!:>out ~ inches at I'alis:uk and abollt 40
<br />inches in the headwater region, of the
<br />Culm'ado RiH'r. ?rlostofthc "nnual preeipit.'J.-
<br />tioninthehigherele>'ati"nsnt'eur<a.<_<no,,"
<br />and a d,'l'p 8nowpaek accumulate,.
<br />Temperatures are often in thenineti,'S in the
<br />
<br />l>sp""ially the Mcsa C",mtj.'PI"nninll:Comrnis.
<br />~ion; the Colora.-to Departmento!' flil':hwa;"",
<br />variou, Federal agencies: and oth~rs who
<br />directly or indir~ctiy aided in the p....paration
<br />ofthisreporl.
<br />
<br />NATURE OF FLOOD PROBLEMS
<br />
<br />el"vatior.ofab,)ut4700feetne,uthcba.'<€of
<br />thee""~tcrn to<'orthc Book Cliffs. which ri8cto
<br />the north. Ea't O~chard Mesa b<lrdcrs Grand
<br />Vall"" on th" ",uth in the' ,tudy ar~a. which i.
<br />
<br />As noted. m"st(}ftheannllal p"edpitation
<br />in the hi~her reg-ioll, or the Colorado River
<br />Basin occur" a< snow and a dttp snowp",ck
<br />aceumulate,_ G.'ncral rainstorm, c.overino:
<br />hrl(t'ar"",for"xtp~d...j rwrio(h can nrc\lrin
<br />th<,region during-spring,summer, and fail.
<br />Conve.;ti,'e t}.p<' cloudbul"St ,torms of small
<br />areal e~tent, whkh a,'eount for ab"ut half of
<br />the ",,,'m,,l annual I'm"ipit"ti"". ""n 1>1'
<br />l'xpecte<l durin\( summer and fall months in
<br />the ['alistulear."
<br />ll!)we,,!'r. fl<lodinj.! alor.j.! t~w Co!or"do Riv~r
<br />
<br />BACKGROUND INFORMATION
<br />
<br />DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY
<br />AREA
<br />
<br />Palisade i5 incatc\i in the middle IVestern
<br />partofC"I"ratl" "I,oul 10 miles ea.4of Grand
<br />Junction. ~nd at tht. enstcrn end of 3. part of
<br />the:>t~teknown;"r,n\ndValll'y.ltlics"tan
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />especiallj' Elb"rt" p'-'aehes. and ha'eontinued
<br />to the pre8ent day a, a major fruit~rowin!l'
<br />e"nter. ComplHtion of the lIighline Canal
<br />irri.u:ation faeilit.~ in l>ll.')a.,sured anadcqullte
<br />water supply to the area and furthen>d
<br />~conomic ,timula\ion in thl'region.
<br />At pre.,ent, l'alis.1de !la., an estimated
<br />population of about 9Oll. Slow lx>pulalion
<br />ll:rowth toaoollt1.000 ispro,jI.oetedfo,'they~ar
<br />2(l(l{l.
<br />
<br />summer and below freezinjl' in the winter.
<br />Occasionaily, sllmmertime t~mperature maj'
<br />exceed 100' and winter tem~ratur~ may
<br />drop a" low as .~Oo. Katural vegetation in
<br />valley arcas consists of cottonwood and
<br />willow, desert shrub. and an understory of
<br />hardy gras,e,. '\1esas and lower mountain
<br />slopes betwecn 5000-8000 feet ,upport oak.
<br />bi,o: sag-ebrush. DnUKias fir. pinon pine. and
<br />ju~ip<'r. On th,' higher mountain 8lopes, &000
<br />fl'et to timberline, veR"<Jtation consists mainly
<br />of ,ub-alpil\~ fir. .pruec, lodgepole pine,
<br />"spen,andnativeshrubs"ndKraBWs.Ve~ta'
<br />tion above timherline u; 'par,l' hUl include,
<br />alpine will"w, "Nlges. and gra"""s_ The
<br />drainaKe are" of the Colorado River above
<br />Palisade i,approximately 8.800 square mile,.
<br />
<br />i5 normally th,'rcsultofrapid melting ,,(the
<br />mon~tain enowpaek in spring "nr! early
<br />Summ"r Hate May through eady July), witb
<br />fhxinow~ occasionally aUll:menlt~i by rain.
<br />(;e~eral rain"tflrm~ and ennvective ,Vf>t'
<br />thunr!"rstorm,g"ncrailyhavclitt1eeff~etona
<br />stfl'am a, I"r.u:e as the Colora(lo River_
<br />In the study area. 100-y~"r floods (m the
<br />C"lorado River would re,ult from ,nowmelt
<br />runoff. and ,;OO'j'earflc>o<l,w"ul,lr,.sultfrom
<br />s;\Gw;ndtnu;:me,;tt,c by r;\in.
<br />
<br />,
<br />
|