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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Recorded peak hydrographs with a base period of ]5 days were analyzed for <br />Gunnison River near Gunnison and Tomichi Creek at Gunnison. Average daily flows for <br />the 7 days preceding and subsequent to the day of peak flow, including the flow of peak <br />day, were tabulated for the 1961 - ] 974 period. Average peak hydrograph was next <br />developed and smoothed by computing equations far both the rising and the falling <br />limbs of the hydrographs. From these hydrographs and the peak flows for different fre- <br />quencies volume of runoff for the two stations were computed. Results of this analysis <br />are presented in Table 13. Sample details for these computations are included in the <br />Appendix. <br /> <br />ICE JAMMING PROBLEMS ON THE GUNNISON RIVER <br /> <br />Ice jam problems is reported to occur on the Gunnison River above Blue Mesa <br />Reservoir. During the fall, as temperatures drop, ice cover is formed over the Blue Mesa <br />Reservoir. Ice forming in the river is carried downstream to the reservoir as slush. As <br />this slush reaches the reservoir's iced surface it may produce ice jams that could potentially <br />move upstream depending on the river channel conditions and climatological factors af- <br />fecting such a development. <br /> <br />The discussion on ice jamming problems experienced on the Gunnison Riverwill <br /> <br />be limited to historical observation of the problem. An evaluation of the reasons for ice <br /> <br />jamming problems is outside the scope of services for this study. The magnitude of this <br /> <br />problem is presented for a limited number of years and is described through visual field <br /> <br />observations during these periods. The discussion presented here is based on the U.S. <br /> <br />Bureau of Reclamation observations of the problem during the 1970 - 1974 period and <br /> <br />interviews with residents of the area. <br /> <br />The primary cause of these ice jamming is the extreme cold weather that con- <br /> <br />tinues over a number of days in the Gunnison Basin. Maximum and minimum daily temper- <br /> <br />atures recorded at Gunnison weather station are presented in the Appendix. These records <br /> <br />include daily data for the months of December, January and February for 1967 - 1973 <br /> <br /> <br />period. <br /> <br />-9- <br />