FLOOD05229

• Designation Number: 86
• County: Arapahoe
• Community: Littleton
• Stream Name: Lee Gulch and Little Creek
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Flood Hazard Area Delineation - Lee Gulch and Little Creek, Littleton, Arapahoe County, CO
• Date: 10/1/1977
• Designation Date: 11/1/1977
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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the two drainage areas were chosen. The following basin par-
ameters for each of the sub-catchments were determined: area,
length, slope, length to centroid, and degree of impervious-
ness. Cross-sections were plotted and field verified. This
data was used to determine the capacity of the channel and
the adjacent flood plain. At each cross-section location
the 100-year discharge, thalweg elevation, flood elevation,
flood plain width, floodway elevation, and floodway width
are shown in tabular form. Future improvements to control
flooding are not a part of this report.

II. DRAINAGE BAS IN CHARACTERIS TICS

GENERAL
Lee Gulch and Little Creek have contiguous drainage basins
located generally in an envelope bounded on the north by
Littleton Boulevard, south hy County Line Road, east by Uni-
versity Boulevard, and west by the South Platte River. Ridge
Road to Broadway, and extended southeast, separates the drain-
age areas. Approximately 1/3 of each basin lies within the
unincorporated area of Arapahoe and Douglas Counties, with
the remainder in the City of Littleton. Jurisdictional
responsibilities of the two streams are:
Drainage Arapahoe &
Basin Parameter Littleton Douglas Total
Counties

C.

Lee Gulch Area-Sq.Mi. 1. 73 0.69 2.42
Length-Mi. 2.82 1.16 3.98
Little
Creek Area-Sq.Mi. 1.54 1.19 2.73
Length-Mi. 2.71 2.20 4.91
Total Area-Sq.Mi. 3.27 1.89 5.15
Length-Mi. 5.53 3.26 8.89
Apportionment Area - % 63 37 100
Length - % 62 38 100

B.

LEE GULCH
The stream flows northwesterly to the South Platte River
rising from elevation 5340 to 5780 in 3.98 miles. From its
beginning in Douglas County, the Gulch passes through pre-
dominately agricultural land to Broadway. Some development
is beginning to occur in this part of the hasin. The ter-
rain is gently rolling, and the stream channel is well
defined. Doutstream from Broadway the Gulch enters developed
residential areas. The channel is well defined throughout
and virtually all of the development is outside the lOO-year
flood plain, even under fully developed conditions.
Crossing Lee Gulch are six major streets, two main-line
railroads, and two agricultural ditches (lIighline Canal and
City Ditch). A tributary joins the main channel just east
of the Highline Canal and is identified in this report as
the South Fork. The majority of the Gulch downstream of
the Highline Canal is maintained as open space, varying from
highly maintained grassed parks to a natural state.
LITTLE CREEK
The stream flows northwesterly from a point just south of
Dry Creek Road to the South Platte River at a point south
of Littleton Boulevard and rises from elevation 5320 to
5715 in 4.91 miles. The drainage basin is essentially
fully developed except for a small portion south of Dry Creek
Road, where a residential subdivision is presently being
constructed. Development varies from single family residen-
tial to commercial and industrial in downtown Littleton.
The historic channel has been encroached upon, particularly
east of Broadway and through downtown Littleton, where it
has virtually disappeared. Between Broadway and Lake Street
the creek has been structurally improved to a riprap and
grass lined channel ~nlere it is paralled by Sterne Parkway.
Storm flows are intercepted by the Highline Canal in the
upper reach and by the City Ditch in the lower reach.
There are numerous street crossings as well as two main-line

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