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<br />CHAPTER 111 <br />BASIN CHARACTERISTICS <br /> <br />A. DrainaRe 8asin Oescription <br /> <br />Oetailed study of the Coal Creek basin was made by the SCS in preparation <br />of their report in reference 1. The information provided in certain sections <br />of this chaptet ate excerpted from that sourCe. The orientation and location <br />of the drainage basin is shown in rigure-2. <br /> <br />The Coal Creek basin drains approximately 79 square miles at its confluence <br />with Boulder Creek. The headwaters originate on thc eastern slope of the Con- <br />tinental Divide and flow ~n a northeasterly direction through portions of <br />Jefferson, Boulder and Weld Counties. The highest basin elevation is 10,500 <br />feet above mean'sea level and the lowest is 4,950 at Bo"lder Creek. The basin' <br />shape is relatively long and narrow with an average width of 3 miles and a <br />length of 28 miles. <br /> <br />. <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />The ground cover in the upstream portion of the drainage basin consists of <br />native grass and woodland areas. The soila are shallow and generally gravelly <br />in texture. Precipitation in the mountainous area averages approximately 18.$ <br />inChes per year with extremes of 10.9 and 29.1 inches over the period of re- <br />corded weather data. <br /> <br />The lower portion of the drainage basin consists of r~lling agricultural <br />land 4nd a number of small cowmunities. The towns of Lafayette, Louisville, <br />Superior and Erie are located along the banks of Coal Creek. Population and <br />land uSe projections for the area indicate continuing expansion of residential <br />."'d industrial areils in the baain. Changes in the character of the drainage <br />basin through the year 2000 were considered in the hydrologic analysis. <br /> <br />-13- <br /> <br />fIGURE 2 <br /> <br /> <br />'i <br /> <br />Scale: 1":4miles <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />DruiflugcBusin <br />Boundury <br /> <br />WATER RESDLlRCES CONSULTANrS, INC. <br /> <br />COALCRE[K <br />DRAINAGE BASH... <br /> <br />1'- <br />