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The detailed flooding information on the White River was taken from a Flood Plain Information Report prepared by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Reference 1). The areas alonp; the White River studied by detailed methods were selected Wilh priori ty given to 1111 known flood hazards Ilnd IIr"'19 of projected development or proposed construction through 1990. Approximate analyses were used to development potential or minimal methods of study were proposed to, Town of Meeker. study those areas having a flood hazards. The scope and agreed upon by, FEMA and low and the 2.2 Community Description The Town of Meeker is located near the center of Rio Blanco County in the northwestern corner of Colorado. The climate of the study area is classified as semiarid, with relatively warm summers and cold winters. In the portion of the county that includes Meeker, the county seat, the mean annual temperature is 440F, with extremes of -430F and 103'F. The average annual precipitation varies from less than 10 inches in the western portion of the county to 16.5 inches around Meeker. Normally, approximately 60 percent of the annual precipitation occurs during the winter months, mostly in the form of snow. The majority of the rainfall OCcurs during the late spring and summer months. This rainfall generally results from convective type thunderstorms, which cause short-duration runoff that is characterized by high-peak, low-volume flows. The topography in the area IS extremely diverse, and includes dissected plateaus, sharp ridges, abrupt cliffs, and rugged badlands that are interspersed with open valleys, meadows, and basins. The presence of underlying rock layers with wide differences in resistance to erosion has been the principal factor in the evolution of these varied land forms. Deep and extensive gullying along drainageways and narrow valleys is of considerable agricultural significance. In many locations, dissection by gullies severely limits use of the land. The ground cover consists primarily of sage brush at lower elevations and forests of aspen, pine, juniper, and scrub oak at high elevations (Reference 1). 2.3 Principal Flood Problems The Town of Meeker is subject to periodic flooding from the White River and Sulphur Creek. The climate of the study area and the differing nature of the watersheds and streams subject the area to floods of three basic types: snow melt, ice jams, and convective thunderstorms. In the past, spring runoff due to melting snow in the high mountain watershed above Meeker has caused the highest water levels in the White River for the longest periods of time. Ice jams, caused by Chinook winds melting snow at higher elevations, and teMperature inversions freezing the water at obstacles in the river have also occurred in the White River in and near Meeker. Periodic floods on Sulphur Creek occur from melting 3