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<br />4.1.7 CLEAR CREEK
<br />
<br />Flood HistolY Records indicate that Clear Creek in the past has not sustained frequent
<br />flooding, However, available information does not appear to represent the present basin
<br />flood potential. Flooding that has been reported has resuRed in enher from a combination
<br />of storm runoff and heavy snowmeR or frclm cloudburst type storms over relatively small
<br />areas of 25 square miles or less, Since 1864, twelve floods have been reportEld on Clear
<br />Creek and its tributaries, Details of these floods are meager and no lives are reported as
<br />having been lost. The following descriptions of the floods of August 1888, June 1956, and
<br />July 1965 are typical of the information currently available,
<br />
<br />Flood of Auoust 1888, This flood resulted from cloudbursts on the eastern slope of the
<br />front range of the Rocky Mountains, A discharge of 8,700 cubic feet per second was
<br />recorded-at the mouth of Clear Cnlek canyon, This is the largest measured discharge in
<br />the history of this gaging station which is located 1,5 miles upstream from Golden,
<br />
<br />Flood of June 1956, UnusuallY heavy snowmeR runoff resuRed in the failure of the
<br />Georgetown Dam located about one mile downstream from Georgetown, The peak
<br />discharge passing the gage above Golden was 5,250 cubic feet per second. By the time
<br />the crest reached the gaging station near the mouth of Clear Creek n was reduced to
<br />2,880 cubic feet per second,
<br />
<br />Flood of 23-26 Julv 1965, On 23-24 ,July during severe storms over the headwaters of
<br />Clear Creek and Tucker Gulch, 4,5 inches of rain was reported to have fallen in Tucker
<br />Gulch in an hour and caused flash flooding in Golden and Georgetown, Colorado,
<br />Flooding extended only a short distance downstream. In Golden, flood waters from Tucker
<br />Gulch spread over 17 blocks and caused an estimated $112,000 damage to 69
<br />residences, 3 commercial enterprises, 3 railroad bridges, 4 street bridges, and utility lines,
<br />At Georgetown, debris blocked the channel and diverted the waters down a street, thereby
<br />causing extensive washing of the $urface and the flooding of several basements,
<br />
<br />4.1.8 BOULDER CREEK
<br />
<br />Flood HistolY, Floods in the l30ulder Creek basin are produced by intense rainfall
<br />during either isolated or general storm SYStllmS, In addition, there is normally an increase
<br />in flows during the mountain snowmeR period in May and June which is frequently
<br />augmented by rainfall runoff, Large floods in the basin were reported in 1864, 1876, 1894,
<br />1914,1923, 1938, and 1969,
<br />
<br />Flood of 29 Mav - 2 June 1894, Heavy rains fell over the mountains extending from
<br />the Colorado-Wyoming border southward into the Republican and Arkansas River basins,
<br />Rainfall overthe Boulder and South Boulder Creek basins was particularly heavy, Rainfall
<br />records for a 96-hour period ending at <1:00 a,m, on 2 June 1894 indicate that the
<br />mountain drainage area received from 4,5 to 6.0 inches of precipnation, -Rainfall amounts
<br />
<br />Colorado Flood
<br />Hydrology Manual
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<br />4,11
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