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<br />STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION
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<br />Community Description
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<br />Chaffee County is located in the mountains of central Colorado, Salida is the county seat of
<br />Chaffee County and is located approximately 70 miles southwest of Colorado Springs, The
<br />population of the County has grown over the past few years as a result of development near the
<br />population areas of Salida and Buena Vista, Highways 285, 24, and 50 are the major roadways that
<br />serve the county, The county is bounded by Lake County to the north, Park and Fremont Counties
<br />to the east, Saguache County to the south, and Gunnison and Pitkin Counties to the west The area
<br />studied for the FrS is the unincorporated areas of Chaffee County as of March 4, 1987, Section 2,2
<br />ofthe FrS provides additional information regarding the community,
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<br />Watershed Description
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<br />The Arkansas River flows through Chaffee County and through or near the towns of Buena Vista,
<br />Johnson Village, Nathrop, and Salida. The headwaters of the Arkansas River are located in Lake
<br />County, which is just to the north of Chaffee County. There are several large tributaries that join
<br />the Arkansas River within Chaffee County, induding the South Arkansas River, Chalk Creek,
<br />Cottonwood Creek, and Trout Creek. The Arkansas River watershed within Chaffee County ranges
<br />in elevation from about 7,000 feet to over 14,000 feet The San Isabel National Forest covers a
<br />large amount of area within the county, Section 2.2 of the FrS provides additional information
<br />regarding the watershed,
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<br />F100dinl! Problems and F100dinl! Historv
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<br />Flooding in Chaffee County generally occurs during the spring and summer months as a result of
<br />flooding from rapid snowmelt runoff, from general rainstorms, thunderstorms, or a combination
<br />thereof, Snowmelt flooding is characterized by moderate peak flows with a large volume of water
<br />over a relatively long duration, Rainfall flooding is characterized by higher peak flows with a
<br />smaller volume of water over a shorter duration, The long-term trends of available stream gages
<br />shows that rapid melting of heavy snowpack is the predominant cause of flooding in most of
<br />Chaffee County,
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<br />There have been numerous high water events in the past on the Arkansas River and its tributaries in
<br />Chaffee County. The most recent high water occurred during 1995, A lOO-year peak flow was
<br />recorded on the Arkansas River at Wellsville, which is just downstream of Salida, Many tributaries
<br />and smaller streams in the county experienced high water during 1995 as well. Significant flooding
<br />also occurred in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1965, and 1973, Section
<br />2.3 of the FrS provides additional information regarding the flooding problems and flooding
<br />history,
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