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<br />Mission StatclDlmt
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<br />Camp Collins was established on the banks of the Cache La Poudre River in 1862 as a military
<br />outpost near the present site of the town of LaPorte, CO. In late June of 1864 a flood described as
<br />the "worst known" by European settlers poured out of the banks of the Cache La Poudre River.
<br />Lieutenant Colonel W.O, Collins described the site of the outpost as ground subject to overflow
<br />[floodplain], the whole having been under water and much public property damage resulting.
<br />Camp Collins was relocated in August of 1864 further downstream to higher ground, however,
<br />was still located near the floodplain,
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<br />In June 1891 the Chambers Lake Reservoir Dam on the headwaters of the Cache La Poudre
<br />River failed resulting in flooding of Fort Collins, Substantial public property damage occurred
<br />including bridges, fences, headgates, buildings, cattle, and horses being swept into the flood
<br />waters,
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<br />The flood of May 1904 was the greatest on the Cache La Poudre River. Over 150 houses were
<br />swept from their foundations and all bridges but one were destroyed. A seven year old boy was
<br />swept to his death trying to escape the flood waters on Dry Creek, a tributary of the Cache La
<br />Poudre, which also flooded, Mr, Robert Strauss, who lived near the banks of the Poudre River
<br />since 1859, also died in the floodwaters, Total damage,s in Larimer County alone were nearly
<br />$150,000 from the 1904 flood,
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<br />Regionally, two of the most devastating floods in Colorado history occurred near Fort Collins. In
<br />August 1976 a devastating flood swept through tile nearby Big Thompson Canyon, about 15
<br />miles south of the Cache La Poudre Canyon, causing 139 deaths, 5 missing persons, and more
<br />than $35 millions dollars in total damages, Substantial flood damages to structures and property
<br />also occurred downstream of the canyon mouth near Loveland, CO, 10 miles south of Fort
<br />Collins, In 1982 the Lawn Lake Dam near Estes Park, CO., located 30 miles southwest of Fort
<br />Collins in the mountains, failed causing 3 deaths and $31 millions dollars in damages,
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<br />In 1983, the Cache La Poudre threatened flooding from rapid snowmelt in the mountains,
<br />Although severe flooding did not occur, the river remained above flood stage for 45 days and the
<br />Governor declared a state of emergency, Damage did occur in a number of areas from channel
<br />bank erosion and meander migration near the Enviromnt:ntal Learning Center. The bike trail., a
<br />dike along Mulberry Street, Countryside Mobile Horn,: Park, the Cache La Poudre Elementary
<br />School and Junior High School, and the Fort Collins Waste Water treatment Plant No.2 were all
<br />threatened by the snowmelt runoff flooding.
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<br />The spring of 1995 was also a year for high runoff associated with snowmelt. Although the
<br />Cache La Poudre remained for the most part witltin its banks, except for bike trail flooding and
<br />some bank erosion, three teenagers had to be rescued from the river and crop damages east of
<br />Fort Collins was in the millions of dollars, The river Willi at its highest since 1983. In addition,
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<br />.J
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