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<br />. <br /> <br />Other Notable Rainstorms and Floods in Northwestern Colorado <br /> <br />Utile documentation exists for large rainstonns and floods in northwestern Colorado. Therefore, it is <br />important to document the magnitude of rainstorms and floods such as was done for the June 20, 1994 <br />rainstonn in the Carter Creek Basin near Kremmling, Colorado (Jarrett, in review) and for the May 30, 1995 <br />rainstonn and flooding in Fortification Creek Basin. Similarly, it also is important to review <br />hydrometeorologic data for historic rainstonns and floods such as for the June 1952 rainstonn at Cimarron, <br />Colorado (Jarrett and Capesius, in review), Pruess (1996) noted that historical accounts of some floods in <br />Colorado were exaggerated, and that an evaluation of historical flooding needs to be done. The most <br />referenced rainstonns in northwestem Colorado occurred in 1915 at Columbine and 1921 in Steamboat <br />Springs, which were specifically addressed in this paleoflood investigation, Following is a summary of a <br />hydrometeorologic assessment of the 1995, 1915 and 1921 rainstonns and flooding in northwestern <br />Colorado. <br /> <br />Rainstorm of May 30, 1995 at Craig <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Maximum monthly precipitation records were established for northwestern Colorado in May 1995, <br />Precipitation records have been maintained in Craig (Craig 4SW) by personnel at Trapper Mine since <br />1936. A record maximum monthly precipitation of 6.21 in. was established in May 1995. Similarly, a record <br />precipitation of 5.66 in. for the month of May also was recorded at Steamboat Springs; the maximum <br />monthly precipitation is 8.15 in. recorded in September 1961. In Hayden, May 1995 precipitation of 3,97 <br />in. tied for second highest. In Meeker, 5.72 in, for May 1995 established a new record. These precipitation <br />stations have been maintained from 60 to 93 years, These values are shown on figure 3b, The <br />importance is that these maximum monthly precipitation values only slightly exceed record maximum .daibl <br />precipitation amounts for other parts of westem Colorado and are substantially less than individual intense <br />rainfall amounts in a few hours in eastem Colorado (figure 3a). <br /> <br />On May 30, 1995, 1.34 in, of rain occurred in Craig (4SW); rainfall amounts probably were larger in the <br />area of maximum rainfall. Local residents indicated that a convective stonn was centered a few miles <br />upstream (north) of Craig, Rainfall amounts on May 30, 1995, ranged from 0.23 in, to 0,67 in, at other <br />gages in northwestem Colorado, thus, indicating the convective stonn was limited in areal extent. Onsite <br />studies and residents accounts indicated that the rainstonn was limited to areas below about 6,500 to <br />6,800 ft in Fortification Creek Basin; the headwaters are at an elevation of about 10,800 ft. The 1D-yr, 24- <br />hr rainfall in Craig is about 1.4 in. and the 10D-yr, 24-hr rainfall is 2.5 in. (Miller and others, 1973). The <br />1995 rainfall of 1.34 in, is slightly less than a 1 D-yr event. The area of the May 1995 rainstonn (defined as <br />contributing to runoff from onsite inspection) was less than 30 mi2, <br /> <br />. Minor out-of-bank flooding occurred in Fortification Creek (figures 5i and 9b) upstream (north) from <br />Craig, but was contained within the channel in Craig (figure 13), A peak discharge estimate for the May <br /> <br />23 <br />