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PHYSICAL FEATURES AND HISTORY There are six county l'oad crossings of the main channel of Running Creek south of th,'1 Town of Elizabeth not including the State Highway bridge at Elizabeth, Three are l.>ridges, one is a ford, and two are corrugated metal pipe culverts (one double 48" dia. and one single 36" dia.) All bridges were built witll a sag in the road on one or both ends so that flood waters may overtop the roads rather than tJ'le bridge thus resulting in a more economical repair job - if any. The bridge on Colorado Hwy 86 was rebuilt after the original bridge at that location was washed out by the last major flood in May 1935: Rock filled gabions with deadmen anchors now protect the upstream side of the highway and energy break check dams can be seen on side channels, A channel ,;ross section at this bridge is inclllded with this report. A lesser flood occurred in 1965 at approximately the same time the Denver flood occurred (callsed primarily by a major storm in the uppeL" watershed of Plum Creek which is not far from the top of the watershed of Running Creek.) fhe 1965 flood never even reached the bottom of the bridge girder s at Elizabeth according to eyewitness reports of residents. It is also the contention and belief of one resident and observer in Elizabeth that the contouring and dike and stock pond construction undertaken by the eee is largely responsible for the "taming" of Rllnning Creek which is a most reasonable assllmption. No other flood control measures are in evidence along Rllnning Creek. The entire watershed is fairly representative of the hitlh plains with generally wide sGtndy channels constricted occasionally by rock outcrops. The vegetal cover is mostly grasslands and pasture ",ith scattered pine three belts and a few cultivated areas mostly of an experimental nature. There is nO visible evidence of past major floods. FLOOD ANALYSIS - METHOD AND DETAIL Study area is located in part of Section 7 and 18, Township 8 South, Range 64 West of the 6th p, M., County of Elbert. State of Colorado and extends along approximately 1. 23 miles of Running Creek in the vicinity of the Town of Elizabeth and is affected by a total water shed of approxi- mately 35,000 acres or 54 sqlIare miles. The stlldy area and total watershed area appear on Elizabeth, Russelville, Elbert, Cherry Valley School and Black Forest, Colorado USGS quad maps (Scale 1:24000). Aerially determined topography of the Elizabeth area is available at a scale of 1" = 100' - and was used to delineate the flood plain limits. -2-