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<br />FLOOD H I STORY <br /> <br />September 3-6, 1909 - After raining practically every day for nearly <br /> <br /> <br />three weeks at Pagosa Springs, the San Juan River suddenly became <br /> <br /> <br />higher than it ever had been before. Several bridges were washed <br /> <br /> <br />away, one corner of the electric light plant washed into the river, <br /> <br /> <br />and a family on upper Hermosa Street had to leave-their home <br /> <br /> <br />because of the high water. <br /> <br />Runoff from snowmelt, general rains, and cloudbursts are the principal <br /> <br /> <br />sources of flooding. Flooding from snowmelt can occur during late May <br /> <br /> <br />and June, especially if there is warmer than usual spring temperatures <br /> <br /> <br />in the high country augmented with rain. Snowmelt floods are charac- <br /> <br /> <br />terized by moderate peak flows, long duration, and large volumes of <br /> <br /> <br />water. Historically, most of the damaging floods occur during the <br /> <br /> <br />months of July through October. This is the rainy season and the soils <br /> <br /> <br />are saturated. Runoff is more severe when the general rains are fol- <br /> <br /> <br />lowed by cloudbursts. High peak flows of short-duration with relatively <br /> <br /> <br />small volumes of runoff are characteristic of cloudburst floods. The <br /> <br /> <br />high peak flows are more significant to flood problems than 'the total <br /> <br /> <br />volume of water that passes through the flood plain. The higher the <br /> <br /> <br />peak, the greater the depth of water; and more area is covered by the <br /> <br /> <br />flood. <br /> <br />October 4-6, 1911 - The highest flood of record resulted in the loss of <br /> <br /> <br />two lives inpagosa Springs and a great amount of property damage. <br /> <br /> <br />Eighteen residences and other buildings, including the electric <br /> <br /> <br />light plant, were destroyed or washed away. _ The floodwaters were <br /> <br /> <br />caused by runoff from three days of unusually heavy downpours on <br /> <br /> <br />saturated soils which had been previously soaked with summer rains. <br /> <br /> <br />The peak discharge was estimated at 25,000 second-feet and the <br />frequency of this discharge lies between the 100-year and 500-year <br />event. <br /> <br />The following are recorded accounts of flood damage on the San Juan <br /> <br /> <br />River and McCabe Creek in the Vicinity of Pagosa Springs and was , <br /> <br /> <br />obtained through local interviews and newspaper articles. <br /> <br />1859 - First Flood known to the early settlers was reported by a memb~r <br />of the Talian tribe of the Southern Ute Indians. They'were camped <br />above the banks of the San Juan River. One day they all left to <br />gather pinon nuts and when they returned the tepees and all of <br />their belongings had washed away. To reach the height of the camp <br />site, the water must have been 6 feet higher than flood stage. <br /> <br />August 10, 1923 - Pagosa Springs and vicinity experienced a cloudburst <br /> <br /> <br />Wednesday afternoon that filled the arroyos, ditches and streets to <br /> <br /> <br />more than over-flowing, besides taking out several small bridges, <br /> <br /> <br />tearing out a new cement wall on Lewis Street and doing other <br /> <br />damage. <br /> <br />June 26-29, 1927 - The river reached its highest mark since the 1911 <br /> <br />flood and was the result of incessant rains and melting snows. The <br /> <br />flood caused thousands of dollars of damage to highways and de- <br /> <br />stroyed considerable "bottom" land and crops. In Pagosa Springs, <br /> <br />- 7 - <br /> <br />- !l - <br />