FLOOD04806

• County: Larimer
• Stream Name: Big Thompson/Cache la Poudre
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Storm and Flood of July 31-August 1, 1976 in the Big Thompson River and Cache la Poudre River Basins
• Date: 1/1/1979
• Prepared For: Colroado Geological Survey
• Prepared By: USGS/NOAA
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Documentation Report

48

FLOOD, JULY 3I-AUGUST I, 1976, BIG THOMPSON RIVER, COLORADO

TABLE 2.-Total rainfal~ in inches, for July 31-August 2, 1976 at
misceUaneous sites
[From National Oceanic E1nd Atmospheric Administration, August 1976)

Location

Town.
ahi Range Set:tion
~~ W.

QuarteT

Total
rainfall

Typo

Rating

Observer
and remarks

3
3
3

3
3
3
3
3
3

7l
7l
7l

72
72
73
73
73
73

11
12
13

.
34
12
13
23
25

c
C
NW

Boulder County
16.8 Gage
25.0
3.5 Pot

Good
Foff
Fair

George Hircocll:.
Veri", Bradshaw.
C. D. Sisk-heaviest
between 2100 and
2300MDT,July
31.
Philip TteVaTton.

SW
S"
N
SW

4.3 Gage
3.0 Bucket
2.9
~:g C~~.
1.12 Gage
~met' County

Good

Fair Neil Turner.
..WillWaite.
..... Clayton Ward..
Fair Dan R. Cox.
Good W. A. Rense.

,
.
.
,
,

.
.
4
,
.

.
,
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6

6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6

7l
71
72
72
72

72
72
73
73
73
73
73
69
70
70
70
7l
7l
7l
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72
73
73
73
73
73
73
70
70
71
71
71
71
71
72
72

72
72
72
72
72
72
72
72

29
32
2
5
7

11
35
1
3
I'
23
34
34
9
6
28
2
3
16
.
6
6
6
10
12
18
21
22
22
23
28
29
30
30
34
15
22
23
26
31
34
9
9
1
6
27
27
34
16
23

25
27
27
27
27
27
28
28

SE
SW
C

4.65 Gage
23.75 Gage
9.0 Pot
6.0 Tub
6.62 Bucket

c
C
NE
SE
SW
SW
NW
NW
C
EY.

7.0 Bucket
'.3
1.38
1.33
4.6
6.0
.75
.8 Gage
2.0 Gage
.9
1.06 Stand.
~d
~:~ G~~"
2.0 Gage
6.0

NE
NW
N"
NE
SE
C
SE
NW
NW
SE
SE
NE
NE
NE
NE
SW
SW
NE
NE
SW
SE
SW
C

J~5 B~~k~t'
2~:g :~~t:~
10.1 Can
14.0 Gage
11.0 Bucket
j~:~
10.0 Tub
10.75 Bucket
5.75
5.3
16:r G~g~"
l.03
11.25
i:~o G~'g~"
.38 Gage

NE

.77
6.0
2~:~
7.5
25.0 Tub
g G~g~ .
li:g B~'c'ke't'

NW
SE
SW
SE

NW
SW
NW
SE
SW
NW
SE

8.0 Bucket
12.0 Bucket
12.0 Bucket
29.5 Bucket
7.5 Gage
24.5 Can
21~:~ Tub

Good Dottie Branum.
Fair Lillie Olander.
.... Fred Hurt.
Fair _ Houck.
D.A.Carvell-
heaviest between
2030 and 2100
MDT, July 3l.
Fair Byron Tudder.
Fair Bob Swope.
.: *:rf{c~~.
.. Gordon Mace.

. . .. Robert Irvin.
....... U.S. Forest Ranger.
Good Darrell Fargo.
Clemont Young.
Fair Unknown.

Good Unknown.
Fair Unknown.
Good Unknown.
.. Monte Christman.
.. Julius Hamilton.
Poor Frank McGraw.
...... E. L. Neuawanger.
Poor _ Young.
Poor Godesiaboia.
Poor Unknown.

Foff
Fair
Foff
Foff
Poo,

O. H. Woods.
George Gut.hrie.
Harold Tregent.
Ben Federson.
David Ruhn.

Poor Harokl Slapper.
...._Hert:der.
Good U.S. Forest Service.
... Estes Power Plant.
Good Michael Wapprich.
James Work.
.. Les Casswell.
Michael Marden.
Howard Karp.
Walter Hines.

~
Good
Good

. l'oIationalPlllk Ser-
vice.
... Ed DiaD.
.... Kelvin Danieison.
::::~to~~'

:::::: ~ys~~:
....... Lee Kriebaum.
~:d ~~?F~:ib.

Fair Unknown.
Fair Clarence Nold.
Poor Gordon Leonard.
Fair Unknown.
Poor Leonard Ray.
Poor Joe Bauer.
. . . .. Barbara Havens.
Poor WIUTfIn Cross.

TABLE 2.-Total rainfal~ in inches, for July 31-August 2, 1976 at
miscellaneous sites-Continued

Location

Town-
ship
N.

Range Seetion
W.

Quarter

Tot~
rainfall

TYP'

Rating

Observer
and remarks

6
6
7
7

7
7
7
7
7

7
7
8
8
8
8
8
8

8

8
8
8
8
8
8

8
8

8
8
8
8
8
9
9
9
9

8
10

10

10
10
10
10
11
11
11
11
12
12

72
73
70
70

70
71
71
71
72
72
72
72

72
73
6.
70
70
70
70
70

71

71
71
71
7l
71
71

71
71

72
72
73
73
75
69
69
70
70

71
70

70
70
71
71
73
68
69
69
71
70
71

34
11

5
5

12
l'
24
I'
12
13
IS
IS

17
16
30
IS
29
29
30
31

20
20
23
29
32

35
36

11
25
l'
25
11
11
23
12
33

19
15

32
34
9
36
34

13
31
31
IS
20
31

Ulrimer County-COntinued
SW 27.2 Wheel
SW 212.0 ~::-ow

6.4
9.1 Gage

NW
NW
SE

7.0 Bucket
1~:~ Bucket

POot
Poo,

Cliff Manson.
Michael Davidson.

S\,,"'

'.5
10
.
6
2.3

.. _ Soderberg.
Steve Co1, Colorado
State University.
Fair Joel LamoreU1.
Fair George Mornik.
Fair Jay Howlett.

G~

.. G. Marwick.
..... Tom Smith.
... Bonnie Carter.
.... L. Rogers.
... Helen Heather-
ington.
Helen Dickerson.
. T. Noons.n.
Harold Craw.
. Unknown.
. John Park.

~

... John Baker.
. .. Mary Williams.
Pete Wetzel-
recording rain
ga~. lSee fig. 1.)
.... Arcble Langston-
heaviest between
2200 and 2400
MDT, July 31.
.. Kelvin Danielson.

.... G.Garrison.
Fair Leon FerlJUson.
Good _ Wimmer.
.... J. Veen.
Fair Dan Colter-heavy
intermittent rain
1600-2400 MDT,
July 31.

Unknown.
.... Bill Cotton-heavi-
est between 2315
81ld2345 MDT,
July 31.
F~ . .. Kelviy Danie~sor
...~\v~=s e.

... James Noowan.
. Unknown.
.. Unknown.
.. H. A. Simpson.
Poor Unknown
. TelTY Van Cleave-
heaviest between
2200 MDT. July
31,to 0200 MDT.
Aug. 1.
Poor Unknown.
.... Clarence Koch-.
beaviestaround
2300 MDT,
July 31.
... Unkno';l;n.

... Ed Nauta.
....D.H.Webb.
... Tom Thomas.
. U.S. Forest Service
Good Ch~~~~~n.
.1. Graham.
. Unknown.
.. re~.tnN;dah.
.. F.Moin.

Fair

SW
SW

4.25
.68
4.6 G~'g~'
7.8
11.25
9.0
'.0
10.24 Gage

13

72

24

SW
NE

SW

9.0

..... Lois Bath.

C
SE
SE

'5
9.0
5.5 Can
7.5 Tub
J5.0
7.5 Bucket

11.25
7

NE
XE

2~:g Gage
1.50
1.38
t.30
1 21:~ Gage
2.7
'.3

NE
EY,

c

27.0 Can
4.26

S'I.

'.0
6.25
6.2
6.0
.6
1.9 Gage
1.25
4.25
6.0 Gage
6.5
5.10

SE
BE

Albany County. Wyoming

IJulr31eveningtotalonJy.
2 Rainfall total was greater tban amount indicated.

4.'