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<br />SOUTH PLATTE RIVER <br /> <br />~- <br /> <br />Flood History. Flooding along the South Platte River <br />normally occurs from May through September with the most frequent <br />flooding occurring during June. Serious floods, however, have <br />occurred from February through December. Floods normally occur <br />under non-ice affected conditions. Ice jams, however, are <br />possible even though their historical frequency of occurrence is <br /> <br />rare. <br /> <br />Floodwaters on the South Platte River can result from <br /> <br /> <br />intense localized rainfall or general rains, either of which may <br /> <br /> <br />be augmented by snowmelt. The intense rainstorm floods result <br /> <br /> <br />from intense rainfall over areas of relatively small areal <br /> <br /> <br />extent. These storms can produce extremely rapid concentrations <br /> <br /> <br />of floodwaters and ensuant rapid rises in stream levels. Because <br /> <br /> <br />of little warning time prior to streams attaining flood stages, <br /> <br /> <br />this type of storm can produce floods which are extremely <br /> <br /> <br />hazardous. This type of flood produces high peak discharge on <br /> <br /> <br />tributaries in the general vicinity of the rainstorm. The <br /> <br /> <br />discharge, however, attenuates rapidly on the South Platte River <br /> <br /> <br />downstream from the contributing tributaries due to valley <br /> <br /> <br />storage of the floodwater. <br /> <br /> <br />The general rainstorm floods result from rainfall over areas <br /> <br /> <br />of large areal extent. Rainfall from this type of storm may <br /> <br /> <br />occur over several days. Because of this time duration, the <br />