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<br />rIGURE2 <br /> <br /> <br />N <br /> <br />SCllle: <br /> <br />1" " 4 milcll <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />Drairlage Basin <br />Boundary <br /> <br />~ATER RESOURCES CONSULTANTS, INC. <br /> <br />1lUi',,~lNG CREEK <br />DRAINAGE BASIN <br /> <br />-10- <br /> <br />I <br />i <br />" <br /> <br />vated l~nd which is planted primarily in ~inter wheat. Many of the fields <br />are contour plowed to retain water and prevent erosion. Irrigation of ~rop- <br />land. is mini~al ~in~e major sources of irrigation wetet are not llvailable <br />in the basin. <br /> <br />Study Rench Dcsetiption <br /> <br />The study reach for Running Creek i. appro~im~tely 1.2 miles in length <br />and centers on the Town of Eli~ahetb. The reacb limits extend 0.5 miles <br />dO"'II.tre.... and 0.7 mile. upstream hom the State Higbway 86 bridge. Figure- <br />I (page 4) more accurately define. th~ study sres. <br /> <br />Running Creek was a perennial stream in the past according to area resi- <br />dent. thus derivin: its name. In recent years, ext~nsive use of ground water <br />in the aren bas depleted groundwater levels to the point that Running Creek <br /> <br />i. u.ually dry in the summer. <br />"vailabl~ moisture dimini.hed. <br /> <br />Vegetstion has also changed over the y~ars as <br />Phreatophyte vegetation, auch aa willows, <br /> <br />whi~h previoualy oc~upied most of the floodplain, disappeared 1n the higher <br />floodplain areas. <br /> <br />The present vegetation 1a still quite dense in some areas of the flood- <br />plain. The photos on Pages 12 through 13 illustrste the vegetation for typical <br />reache.. Cottonwood tree. grow along the edgea ()f the floodplain with willo"., <br />graas. and other bruah growing in the lower areaS. The tow flow cbannel meanders <br />through the fl~dplain area and haR a "idth r~neing from 15 to 20 fp~t. Th~ <br />channel bottom ia sand and gravel bounded by gra.a-lined banks. <br /> <br />The floodplain ia defined by steepened bank. along most of the reach. <br />Banks at the outside of bends have vertical faces indicating an ongoing <br />ero.ionproce9s. Floodplainwidth9 average fromWO to 800 feet along the <br />study reach. An abandoned railroad grade paralleh the flo<ldplain on the west <br />~iJe. n,e railroad embankment neur the up~treum ~luJy limit w,"~ ","shed out oy <br />a flood in 19j5 aooording to residents. The bend in the channel at this loea- <br />tion will continue t" .,igrate westworJ ss aJditi<Jl\allatl>" [1"ods "cour. <br /> <br />-11~ <br />