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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ;. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I! STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION Community Description The Town of Norwood is located in northwestern San Miguel County, which is bordered by Montrose County on the north, San Juan and Ouray Counties on the east, Dolores County on the south and the state of Utah on the west. Telluride is the County Seat of Dolores County. The population of Norwood was estimated at 429 in 1990 and 578 in 1999, resulting in a growth rate over the period of 3.4 percent per year (Demography Section of the Colorado Division of Local Government). The area mapped in the FHBM includes the incorporation boundaries as of 1974. There has been some expansion of the town limits to the south since the FHBMs and FIRM panels were prepared. Watershed Description The Town of Norwood is located in the Dolores River basin on the western slope of the Continental Divide. Three small drainages flow through the incorporation limits of the Town from south to north. Ed Joe Draw flows through the northeastern corner of the town incorporation limits. A smaller un-named drainage flows through the center of town generally along Cedar Street. This drainage is tributary to Ed Joe Draw downstream of the Town. A un- named drainage also flows through the western portion of the town limits, and is tributary to Naturita Creek northwest of the town. The creeks are all intermittent, flowing primarily during snowmelt and precipitation events. The watersheds extend from Goshorn Flats, which separates the watersheds with the Naturita Creek watershed. south to their confluences with either Maverick Draw or Naturita Creek. Elevations of the watersheds range from 8300 feet at their headwaters to about 7000 feet at their confluence with Maverick Draw and Naturita Creek. The Town of Norwood sits at an elevation of approximately 7000 feet. There are no USGS or Division of Water Resources gaging stations on any of the streams. With the exception of the town itself, the watersheds are generally agricultural and forested lands. F1oodin!!: Problems and F1oodin!!: History Floods in the subject watersheds normally occur during the late summer and early autumn and are caused primarily by intense localized cloudbursts or thunderstorms. Typically, these floods have high peak discharges with low volumes over short durations and there is usually a very short window of opportunity for flood warning and evacuation once a major storms hits the area. Less damaging floods can also result from rapid melting of mountain snowpack in the spring and early summer months, especially on the larger drainageways. A combination of rainfall and snowmelt can sometimes prove to be the worst flooding scenario for Colorado's mountain streams. Flooding within the Town is not well documented. Historically, there has been some minor flooding due to individual lot grading and runoff during moderately intense storms. Local officials do not recall major flooding due to intense storms in the Town. Previous Studies The initial identification date for the FHBM was November 22, 1974. No previous studies have been conducted for the Town of Norwood. 5