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Colorado River at lower limit of study "reo", (;,020 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I STUDY AREA DESCRIPTIOK Dr~inage Basin Characteristics The flood study area on the Roaring Fork River and the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs, COlorado is located in Garfield County. The headwaters of the Colorado River originate around Grand Lake, Colorado which is some 100 miles from Denver, Colorado. The portion of the Colorado River basin under consideration in this study has its lower limits approxima~ely 2 miles down- stream from Glenwood Springs and encompasses a drainage of 6,020 square miles, see Basin Map, Plate 1. All streams in Garfield County are direct or indirect tributaries to the COlorado River, the main stem of which traverses the south central and southeasterly sections of the County. Before reaching Glenwood Springs, the river flows through Glenwood Canyon some 1,000 feet of sheer limestone cliffs. At Glenwood Springs the basin drains 4,560 square miles. It is then joined by its prinicpal tributary, the Roaring Fork River. The head- waters of the Roaring Fork River are at approximately 12,000 feet elevation some 30 miles south of Aspen, Colorado. It flows 50 milea through mostly farmland in a northwesterly direction to Glenwood Springs. The portion of the Roaring Fork basin under study has its upper limits at Cattle Creek approxi- mately 6 miles south of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The river continues its course where at 5,700 feet elevation it reaches the downstream limits of the study. The basin drains approxi- mately 1.460 squarQ miles. Table 1 Drainage l.reas Location Area (sq. mi.) Hoar~ng Fork Ri V,'r <>t upper limit of study area 1,365 Ro<>ring Fork River at junction ~ith Colorado River 1,460 -7-