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<br />Acknowled~emcnts <br /> <br />We wish to aoknowledge the assistance of all those who oontributed <br />to this study. A number of the offioials ;lnd employees of Colorado <br />Water Conservation Board snd the town of Crested Butte were very help- <br />ful in providing assilltance, comments, and suggestions that were very <br />useful in oompleting this study. Messrs. Larry Lang from Colorado <br />Water Conservation Board and Bruce Baumgartner from the town of Crested <br />Butte were direotly involved in the atudy. <br /> <br />CRAPTERII <br /> <br />STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />Ihe study area on Coal Creek in and around Crested Butte, Colorado <br />is looated in Gunnison County, approximately 30 miles north of Gunnisnn, <br />Colorado, the County seat, and 250 miles southwest of Denver, Col orado. <br />Plate I ahows the Coal Creek drainage baain above the city of Crested <br />Butte, and its relative location to the city of Gunnison. Coal Creek <br />headwaters originate in the Elk Mountains, 10 miles west of Crested <br />Butte. It drains approximately 21 square miles of lltOuntainous terrain <br />ranging in elevation from 8,880 to 12,207 feet above mean sea level. <br />Major tributaries of Coal Creek include Elk Creek, Splains Cu1ch, and <br />WildoatCreek. <br /> <br />Coal Creek flows through a steep oanyon composed mostly nf shale <br />material. Vegetation oonsists of willow and box elder along the can- <br />yon. The oreek enters the oorporate limits of Crested Butte from the <br />southolest and angles thorugh the western half of the town in a north- <br />easterly direction until it flows into the Slate River within the <br />Southwest 1/4 of Seotion 35, Iownship 13 South. Range 86 West, 6th <br />Prinoipal Meridian. Ihe original ohannel of Coal Creek ran from the <br />mouth of th" canyon in an eaaterly oourscnlong the southern town <br />boundary to its oonflu.mo", with the Slate River. The e"l..ting Coal <br />Creek ehannel oonsists of out and filled embanKment and does not occupy <br />a natural depression, thus oreating flooding hszards to lower lying <br />surrounding areas during high "tream flow~. <br /> <br />Within the oorporate limits of Crested Butte the creek i.. bridged <br />by roads in t1ve separate locations. <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />, <br />