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<br />ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
<br />The Sacramento Oi,trict, Corp~ of
<br />Engineer_, !(ratcfully a~knowl...-!"r" th"
<br />",,,,i,,tance and ",x)peration of the "Grand
<br />Junction Dail}' l'ientinel," the "Gra,,,J Valley
<br />(;azi'U('," the City ,,[Grand ,hlndi"n, the Me"'-
<br />
<br />INTRODUCTION
<br />
<br />PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF REPORT
<br />
<br />The purrx>>w of this n'p<>rt is to degcrihe
<br />and illustraw th.~ flood hazard in the vieinity
<br />of Grand Junction. ),IIesa COllnty, Colorado.
<br />The rqx,rt will aid inplanninj.(theb€,tuseof
<br />lan,lssuhj,,~twinundationfroml00-and,jOO.
<br />
<br />LIMITS OF STUDY
<br />
<br />The "'-'p<>rt cove" the Colnrado Ri"erfrom
<br />22 Road upstream t.o:'l2l\oad and the lower
<br />reachr~ of th,' Gunnigon River, Le<<eh Creek,
<br />Horizon Drivr Channel, and Lewis Waoh in
<br />>Inn around r.rand .Tuncti"". Th~ Gunnison
<br />Ri,'er, J.,,,,,eh Creek, and Lewis Wash ar"
<br />riir,'d trihut<lrivs t<J the Colorado River,
<br />Horizon Drive Channel flows throu"h thr
<br />
<br />TABLE 1
<br />
<br />y"ar floods. 1I0wl'ver, it dC)(', not contain
<br />recommendations for solvinl': flood problems
<br />or plan' for us<' of flood plain aroa,becau'S€
<br />the~ activitil~,are the re<p<>n~ihiJiti()" 01 local
<br />j.(overnmonk
<br />
<br />County Planninj( C"nlrni<8ion "nd "ari"us
<br />other)'le<a Countyap:eneie<. the Colorado
<br />v..'partmcnt 01 Highway". various Federal
<br />a"enoio<, and other" whodirectlyorindirectly
<br />ailll-J in the preparali'Jn ,,[ thi~ rep<>rt,
<br />
<br />BACKGROUND INFORMATION
<br />
<br />DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY
<br />AREA
<br />
<br />northern portion 01 th~ city. It oocom~,
<br />Independ~nt Ranchmen;; Ditch in the yicinity
<br />"fGrand Valley Canal. The Colorado River i,
<br />theonlyothc'r,trt'amunder,tudywonterthe
<br />,'ity.pa,"in"thrnul'(hth,'wegtt,rn8<'et"r.Plate
<br />1 b a !<~neral map of the area, The stream
<br />r"achesstudied an',-hown in Table 1.
<br />
<br />Grand Junction, the c.Qunty soat and tho
<br />larl<e"t city hetwl'en Denver and Salt Lake
<br />City, is located at the eonfluence of the
<br />CO]m'ado anel Gunnison Riversaoout2fimilcs
<br />from tho Ut"hhorrler. It Hegatan elevation of
<br />about ~600 feet betwt..,n the L'ncompabgro
<br />PI"(,,,au On the":H1th and the Book Cliffs On the
<br />north, both of whith ri,e abollt 2700 feet
<br />"hovr the eity. G~r"e Crawford, u former
<br />"",verno" of Kan.s<ls.cotablishcd the town,ite
<br />in 1~~1, By "prinl'(of Iljb::, the first irrigatioo
<br />faciliti~s we"~ complelu and a;rrieulture and
<br />li"'>ewck raisin~ had h~lSlln, A narrnw-j(al':f
<br />Jill" ,,[ lhu O"lLver and Rio Grand Western
<br />l\aiJroarl fr(lm G"nnisnn w~s Nlmplrtl'd to
<br />
<br />STREAM REACHES STUDIEO
<br />
<br /> Lellglh
<br />Stream Reach etReach
<br /> From: Upstream 10: (mll~.)
<br />Colorado River :!:! Road :12 Road "
<br />Gunnison River Mouth Redla.nd~ Dam 2
<br />1.,'achCr"ek 241wad " Road ,
<br />Lewis V.'ash Mouth Gm'ernment Hi~hline
<br /> Canal "
<br />f1o"izonllri,'r ~' IVllld \'ieillit~, of \\'alkl'r Fidel "
<br />Chan,"'!
<br />
<br />DRAINAGE AREA
<br />
<br />Th,' Colo,'ado Ri""r ri",," hilo!h i"th~ Roekv
<br />:,\""rotai,,, 011 U", W"SW"1l siol-'C oftnl' C:o'-;-
<br />tinental Di,'ide. Th(, riv('rflows .nuthwe"krlv
<br />from its hl'adwaterrel'(;no8 to tho vicinity~f
<br />(;rand .Junrtion. westerly a.nd n",'!ilw('>l(erlv
<br />thl'Ou"h the otud)' area,then,'.('northwe,terl;'
<br />throll"h mo.,l nf it, remaininl< c<>tlr<e in
<br />(;',iormlo, '1'11" (;'Jn~ison River, the principal
<br />tribut.ary w the Cole".,,,l,, Rive'r in Cdorado.
<br />ab" ris~sm,"ij.(hl'l"""tio,,'on th,'westsl(}p"
<br />
<br />Grand Junetion in 1882 and the main line
<br />from D.'nver wa" eompJeted through the ~ity
<br />;n 11\9J. The area i" exwnsively irrigated and
<br />mueh of the rural land is de"eloped for
<br />farminj.(, live.<t<wk raisin", and or~h"rds
<br />However, the economic bu."" of Grand June-
<br />ti"" l~ very diver"ified, In addition to
<br />a"rioulturl', it involves, amongotht'r thinj.("
<br />various indu~lrial and eomm~rejai ~nrl"a'.ors.
<br />and activiti('~ r,~lawrl to n,<:reation and
<br />t.ouri"!ll, Grand Junction is lL maj,w rail;>nd
<br />highway t'enter unrl th,' print'ipal "rhan area
<br />in Wesu'rn Colo,'a,l<>. The city hasapre"ent
<br />p<>pulalionofalxmt22.000.
<br />
<br />of the Continental Divide. Jtg main ,tem
<br />foliow8 a ,,,,,thwe~tcrty eOllrse from
<br />h"aelwatt>raroa"toGllnnisonwherl'ittornsto
<br />f1oww"stforabout4()mill'".th,'nee.o:en~rally
<br />","thwf,krly It, th" Colorado Riwr at Grand
<br />Junction. ["a..h Cr<,,'k. lloriwn [h'iY<'
<br />Channel. and Lewis Wash oril'(illll\(" in tlw
<br />Book Cliff< arc'a, 'fh.-, rJrlLip,foj.(f a,'e,," oftn('
<br />"tr"~m" lInolPr "t",.Iy and the elevations of
<br />their h"ndwiltl'r area, ",'c,hown in Tabl,'2,
<br />
<br />2
<br />
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