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<br />Flood of June 1891, A dam failure in the upper basin washed out the stream gage so
<br />no accurate-discharge could be determined, The peak discharge was later estimated from
<br />a high water mark to be 21,000 cubic feet per second,
<br />
<br />Flood of 21 Mav 1904, Flooding in the study reach on 21 May 1904 resulted from
<br />rains of .cloudburst intensny" in the foothills at about 7,000 feet elevation during a period
<br />of rapid snowmen on the headwaters of North Fork and Boxelder Creek, Rainfall of 2,66
<br />inches was recorded in the North Fork area, A peak discharge of 20,000 cubic feet per
<br />second was estimated at Livennore on the North Fork, and a peak discharge of 7,500
<br />cubic feet per second was estimated on Boxelder Creek near ns mouth, Fortunately,
<br />rainfall in the lower basin was moderate wnh only 0,21 inches recorded at Fort Collins and
<br />only 0,09 inches recorded at Greeley, or this flood might have been of even greater
<br />magnnude, Damage was heavy at Fort Collins and Boxelder Creek, downstream from Fort
<br />Collins, contributed high flows, The Greeley Tribune stated: ''The Boxelder, a small
<br />stream ordinarily only a few feet wide, was tearing down through a fertile valley filled from
<br />bluff to bluff wnh a sheet of water a mile wide, carrying buildings and bridges away
<br />Below the mouth of Boxelder Creek floodwaters were reported to be 1,5 mile wide in
<br />places, Every bridge between Fort Collins and Greeley was destroyed, The flood reached
<br />Fort Collins late in the afternoon on 20 May and the crest arrived at Greeley about 8:30
<br />a,m, on 21 May, Water backed up behind a culvert at the Union PacWic Railroad track and
<br />overflowed a large area in the city, Lowlands downstream of the railroad were also
<br />flooded wnh houses submerged to the windowsills, Flooding continued until noon, then
<br />receded rapidly. Total damages forthe-basin were estimated at $183,650 including $1 ,000
<br />at Greeley and $33,000 for crops and livestock,
<br />
<br />Flood of 24-26 June 1917. The flood of 1917, reported greatest near Greeley, was
<br />caused by rain falling on a heavy snow blanket in the mountains and supplemented by
<br />local rains in the lower portion of the basin, The county surveyor estimated a peak
<br />discharge of 13,000 cubic feet per second near Greeley, but the peak at the Greeley gage
<br />near the mouth of the stream was 4,240 cubic feet per second on 25 June, Total
<br />damages for the basin were estimated at $19,000 wnh $3,000 at Greeley.
<br />
<br />Flood of 10-18 June 1923, Snow cover in the basin was about 50 percent above
<br />normal in the Spring of 1923 and June was one of the wettest of record. Flooding along
<br />the Poudre caused $132,500 in total damages in the basin including $5,000 at Greeley,
<br />The Fort Collins Express, 17 June 1923, in a dispatch from Greeley stated:
<br />"The water on the Poudre second only to the flood of 1904, tonight shut off all travel
<br />on highways north and west of the city and had driven a score of families from their homes
<br />on the lowlands. , , Three feet of water has driven tourists from their campground in the
<br />bottoms, The Boyd farm northwest of here was entirely under water for the first time since
<br />1884",
<br />
<br />Flood of Mav 1930, Rains began in the basin about 3 p,m on 30 May 1930 and a
<br />peak discharge of 6,800 cubic feet per second, at a stage of 9,82 feet, was reached at
<br />Livermore on the North Fork the Cache la poudre River at 6 p,m. The flood reached the
<br />canyon gage in the Cache la Poudre River at 8:15 p.m., with an estimated discharge of
<br />10,200 cubic feet per second at 7,9 feet gage height, The flood reached Fort Collins at
<br />
<br />Colorado Flood
<br />Hydrology Manual
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<br />4.20
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<br />a:w=r
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