FLOOD04730

• Designation Number: 307
• County: Rio Blanco
• Community: Rangely
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Title: Flood Insurance Study - Rangely
• Date: 9/1/1990
• Designation Date: 9/1/1990
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

Twice in the last 85 years, in March 1955 and February 1962, ice
jams caused water stages in the White River to reach Main Street
between Colorow Street and Birch Avenue. These floods caused
damage to homes, businesses, and public utilities. Ice jam floods
have been observed as far back as 1891, when Rangely consisted of a
saloon, blacksmith shop, store, and hotel.

In the late summer of 1910 or 1911, a thunderstorm produced flood
stages almost to the 1962 level. Another thunderstorm in the 1920s
raised the White River to approximately the location of the Rangely
Hotel, but the water was 1 foot lower than the 1955 flood.

Two of the largest thunderstorms to produce local flooding occurred
in August 1946 and July 1953. In the 1946 flood, one downtown
office building had from 6 to 8 inches of water covering the floor.
On July 31, 1953, 1.42 inches of rain was measured in slightly over
1 hour at the Rangely gage, and resultant local flooding washed out
a road and tore away a bridge outside of Rangely. In town, runoff
caused drainage ditches to overflow, and damage from the
floodwaters was aggravated when the high water picked up oily mud
from around a local oil well.

Less than 2 years later, in March 1955, an ice jam in the White
River caused the river to leave its banks, and at one time the town
water supply was cut off when 6 feet of floodwater covered the
water filtration plant.

Water supply was aga1n interrupted by ice jams above and below the
town in February 1962. The flood of February 1962 was the largest
flood of record. In March 1966, another ice jam diverted the flow
of the White River and several ranches experienced flooding. Most
recently, flooding as a result of an ice jam occurred in March
1983.

Local residents agree that damaging floods occur on the average of
once every 7 to 10 years, with the majority resulting from ice
jams. Shallow flooding, with water characteristically less than 3
feet deep, occasionally occurs in some southern portions of Rangely
as a result of rampant thunderstorm runoff from ravines and washes.

Due to a lack of streamflow records for the immediate vicinity of
Rangely, data basic to estimating the frequency of past floods are
not available.

2.4 Flood Protection Measures

There are no Federal flood control projects affording protection to
Rangely, and none are under consideration. Most new development in
Rangely is being kept out of potential flood damage areas.

College Canyon Draw has been channelized between South White Avenue
and County Highway 2 to increase channel capacity.

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