FLOOD05372 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Pueblo Flood Hazard Mitil!lJtion Pion These watersheds are similar in that they are subject to the same types of storms and flooding which is due to similar stream channel charaeteristics and climates. The stream channels in these watersheds are charaeterized by long, narrow stems and tributaries, Analysis of climatological data and inspeetion of the flood history for the Arkansas River subbasin above John Martin Reservoir (near Las Animas, Colorado) shows the most severe flood-producing storms oeeur during the late spring or summer months, Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexieo mixes with eold, dry air from the polar regions to ereate increased thunderstorm activity in the area, The nmoff from these storms eombines with snowmelt in the spring and ean ereate high stream flows, These high flows in the narrow channels can eonduet flooding with high peak flows of small volumes and short durations, Valley storage, high infiltration rates, and irrigation diversions cause eonsiderable attenuation of the flood flows moving downstream to the Arkansas River. Fountain Creek flows south through the northeast seetor of Pueblo, Fountain Creek, a north-bank tributary of the Arkansas River, stretches approximately 65 miles long as measured from Palmer Lake to the Arkansas River confluence at Pueblo. The watershed eonstitutes a drainage area of 927 square miles over several eounties, The ereek originates about seven miles northwest of Pikes Peak in the mountains of the Rampart Range, Elevations in the watershed vary from 14,109 feet at Pikes Peak to 4,627 feet where it meets the Arkansas River. Fountain Creek headwaters are fed from snowpack and springs of the alpine west slope canyons of Pikes Peak, The creek emerges through the foothills and onto the high plains at Colorado Springs where it enters a drainage area at the Monument Creek junction. Fountain Creek is perennial except for a few days during the summer when irrigation and munieipal demands exceed the low summer flows, Some irrigation-retum flows are experieneed in the plains sector of the creek. The damaging floods in Pueblo on Fountain Creek normally originate in storms in the Colorado Springs area on the main stem and tributaries. Floods that originate in this area may dissipate to negligible proportions prior to reaching Pueblo, depending upon preeipitation events and soil moisture content in the area between Colorado Springs and Pueblo, The Fountain Creek Flood Control Project, designed to control up to a 200 year flood event in the eity, helps mitigate against flooding, The St Charles River originates near San Isabel, Colorado on the northeast face of the , , Wet Mountains. This perennial mountain stream follows a 50 mile, northeasterly course, until its waters enter the Arkansas River eight miles east of Pueblo, Elevations in the watershed range from above 9,000 feet to 4,545 feet, and its drainage area eovers approximately 482 square miles Wild Horse-Dry Creek, an Arkansas River north-bank tributary, conveys the eombined streamflows of Wild Horse Creek and Dry Creek (not to be confused with Dry Creek just east of the eity of Pueblo), This tributary flows southeasterly through the eity's northwest quadrant into the Arkansas River. The watershed is approximately 17 miles long as measured from its headwaters to the Arkansas River eonfluence at Pueblo, Its drainage area eovers 82,8 square miles, 4