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<br />damage at Pueblo was apparently minor. In September of the same year, Trinidad experienced <br />the most disastrous flood of record on the Purgatoire River. <br /> <br />Development of water resources on the Arkansas River and tributaries began in the late 1850' s <br />when gold was discovered and production of garden vegetables and other crops by means of <br />irrigation evolved in support of the mining camps which located along the banks of the mountain <br />tributaries. During the latter part ofthe century, rapid and extensive expansion of irrigation <br />enterprises accompanied the establishment of permanent settlements. Many small reservoirs <br />were constructed, primarily for storage of water for late season irrigation, but also to provide <br />local flood control as well as domestic and industrial water supply. <br /> <br />RECORDED FLOOD HISTORY <br /> <br />Greatest Flood of Record <br /> <br />The flood of June 1921, the greatest of authentic record on the Arkansas River at Pueblo, was <br />caused by a storm which extended over most of the drainage area but was particularly intense in <br />the upper reaches west, northwest, and north of Pueblo. According to U .S. Weather Bureau <br />records, the 48-hour rainfall measured 3 to 5 inches at the precipitation stations, but reports from <br />persons residing in the area indicated as much as 9 to 11 inches in 6 hours at some locations. <br />The flood peak on the Arkansas River and many of the tributary streams such as Dry and <br />Fountain Creeks converged on Pueblo at the same time, resulting in property damage of $1 0 <br />million and the loss of78 lives. The peak flow at Pueblo was 103,000 c.f.s. As the flood <br />progressed downstream, agricultural lands were inundated, irrigation and transportation facilities <br />were damaged or washed out, and urban areas were inundated to various depths. The flood peak <br />had increased to 200,000 c.f.s. at La Junta where six lives were lost. The peak began to decrease <br />downstream to 187,000 c.f.s. at Las Animas and 165,000 c.f.s. at Lamar; yet, according to local <br />residents, almost the entire city of Las Animas was flooded. Water was 4 to 5 feet in some <br />places. It was estimated in June 1967 that such a flood would produce $57,000,000 in damages. <br />Substantial development has occurred in the Pueblo area over the last thirty years so a current <br />assessment would result in a much higher figure. <br /> <br />Other Major Flood Events <br /> <br />Major floods were experienced at various localities in the subbasin in May 30,1935, April 16, <br />1942, and May 20,1955. The most recent and destructive flood since the flood of record <br />occurred between June 14th and 181h of 1965. <br /> <br />Flood ofMav 30.1935: The May 30,1935 flood developed on Monument Creek which is the <br />principal tributary to Fountain Creek. It produced the maximum known flow on this creek and <br />caused severe property damage and the loss of four lives in and near Colorado Springs. The <br />flood peak had diminished by the time it reached Pueblo and caused little damage there. The <br />flood peak at the mouth of Fountain Creek was estimated by indirect measurement to be <br /> <br />Post Flood Assessment Report <br /> <br />Chapter 2 - History of Flooding and Flood Protection <br />6 Draft Revised 09/16/99 <br />