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Last modified
1/25/2010 6:45:49 PM
Creation date
10/5/2006 12:30:53 AM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
Floodplain Documents
County
Moffat
Basin
Yampa/White
Title
Interdisiplinary Paleoflood Investigation of the Elkhead River Basin and Vicinity near Craig
Date
11/4/1996
Prepared For
CWCB
Prepared By
USGS
Floodplain - Doc Type
Floodplain Report/Masterplan
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<br />. September 1934, stage was measured several times a day. Therefore, determining the rainfall contribution <br />to the peak flow for June 14, 1921 can not directly be determined from hydrograph separation (Linsley and <br />others, 1982) as has been done extensively for streams in Colorado (Jarrell, 1987). An approximation of <br />rainfall-runoff contribution to the peak flow was estimated by interpreting graphs of average daily <br />discharge for June 1921 and the associated annual-peak flow. Graphs for streams in northwestern <br />Colorado where streamflow-gaging stations were in operation are shown in figures 16b- 16d. Antecedent <br />snowmelt runoff was interpreted from the average daily flow, The estimated net peak flow from rainfall <br />runoff is shown on figures 16b-16d. The maximum rainfall runoff was less than about 800 ft3/S, except for <br />the Yampa River at Steamboat Springs where it ranged from about 950 to 2,000 ft3/s (range from <br />uncertainty of antecedent snowmelt on June 14). Thus, rainfall runoff contributed from 15to 30 percent to <br />the total peak flow of 6,820 ft3/S. The volume of rainfall runoff is approximately the same for the Yampa <br />River near Maybell, which drains the entire area subject to this rainstorm, as the volume of rainfall runoff at <br />the Yampa River gage at Steamboat Springs, Thus, it appears most rainfall runoff was limited to streams <br />in Steamboat Springs with decreasing contributions at lower elevations (Yampa River near Maybell, White <br />river near Meeker), Rainfall runoff in June 1921 on the White River near Meeker (figure 16d) and Elk River <br />at Clark was minimal (figure 16c). <br /> <br />Although it is difficult to estimate the contributing area for the June 14, 1921 rainstorm using the available <br />streamflow and rainfall data, an approximation can be inferred if the paleoflood data also are utilized <br />. (Jarrell, 1990b). The lack of substantial paleoflood evidence in tributary streams to the Yampa and Elk <br />Rivers (table 1) also indicates that the 1921 rainstorm was limited in amount and areal extent Because no <br />substantial out-of-bank flood evidence exists, reported flooding in Steamboat Springs probably resulted <br />from undersized culverts and bridges that became clogged with debris. The greatest contribution of the <br />rainfall runoff probably occurred in the developed areas (rooftops, gravel roads) within town. It may be <br />that several small tributaries located in Steamboat Springs had a unit discharge in excess of 100 ft3/slmj2 to <br />perhaps a maximum of 200 ft3/slmj2. This range of unit discharge falls within the envelope curve for <br />northwestem Colorado (figures 10a and 10b). I suspect that the storm was elliptically shaped. The <br />length probably was about 10 to 15 mi in length oriented parallel to the Yampa Valley and about 2 to 2.5 <br />mi wide. The contributing area probably ranged from 20 to 30 mi2. Had the rainstorm extended farther <br />downvalley, then the 1921 rainfall runoff peak and volume would have been substantially greater for the <br />gage at Yampa River near Maybell than at Steamboat Springs. <br /> <br />The analysis to determine the approximate net rainfall runoff also was done for all years for the Yampa <br />River at Steamboat Springs to determine if other rainstorms may have had similar or larger rainfall runoff <br />than 1921. The average-daily flow (ADF) on the day of the annual peak flow (Op) was subtracted from <br />the instantaneous peak for each year (figure 16e). Thus, ADF is used as an approximation of antecedent <br />snowmelt runoff. Since 1904, only three other years have had a rainfall contribution to peak flow larger <br />than 1,000 ft31s (figure 16e). Because of physical constraints on maximum snowmelt runoff, at some point <br />. the contribution from rainfall for extreme (> 1 DO-year events) would increase, However, the maximum <br />paleoflood of about 1 0,000 ft3/S estimated for the Yampa River at Steamboat Springs (lable 1) is a <br /> <br />26 <br />
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