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<br />32
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<br />THE ARKANSAS RIVER FLOOD OF JYNE 3-5, 1921.
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<br />are the largest. In its upper cou;;'e F ountain Cr~ek flows through .
<br />canyons and has a heavy fall, which in the lower part of Ute Pass
<br />amounts to 300 feet in: a little more than half a mile. Near Colorado
<br />Springs the creek leaves the mountains and enters upon the plains,
<br />across which it flows southward to its mouth a short distance below .
<br />Pueblo. At Colorado Springs it is joined by Monument Creek,
<br />which rises in Palmer Lake, on the divide between the Arkansas
<br />and South Platte drainage basins. Other important tributaries are
<br />Rode and Little Fountain creeks, which rise in the mountains south
<br />of Colorado Springs. Fountain Creek flows over a sandy bed, and
<br />although it has considerable underflow, ordinarily it carries very
<br />little water, at the 'surface. Its drainage area is 932 square mile;.
<br />~ The only marked topographic features on the generally level sur-
<br />face of the plains consist of scores of little conical hills called" tepee
<br />buttes," most of them less than 50 feet high.
<br />The following table has been compiled from topographic maps:
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<br />Ele1lation~ alia di.~lllncc8 a/emu Fountain ,Creek fron~ MOllument Creek to mouth.
<br />
<br /> Distance. Descent betwoon
<br /> EJova- points,
<br /> tlon
<br />Point. above From
<br /> .... Monu- Point to Per
<br /> level, mcnt point.' Total mile.
<br /> Creek.
<br />, Fed. .Vir.., j-f/lu. Fed. Feel,
<br />~{onument Creek.........,....,..... .....'., ...'...... 5,960 ............. ................ ................ .'......2ij
<br />Near Wldefie1d. .............,.,................. ..,. 5,700 10,0 10.0 200
<br />FotUltain...,..,...,.,....,...."..,.,...,....,...... 5,500 16.1 6.1 200 33
<br />lluttes."....,.....,...,..,......"".".,.........,. 5,;lOO 23.4 7.3 200 'l7
<br />~~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 5,200 28.0 4.6 100 22
<br />5,000 36.2 8-2 200 24
<br />~~~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 4,850 43.8 7,6 150 \J)
<br />4,700 49.6 5.8 150 211
<br />~[<n1th.........,..,..,',.,......,.....,....,...,..... 4,660 52.0 .2.4 40 17
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<br />On June 3 a heavy rain that extended over the greater part of the
<br />,drainage' basin began about 9 p, m. and lasted all night, From Foun-
<br />tain station to Pueblo, according to local residents, the storm was
<br />the worst in many years, but no estimates 'ha ve been made regarding
<br />the total rainfall. At Colomdo Springs, near the north end of the
<br />basin, the ,\Ycllthcl' Burcau record showerl the rninfalI for the 24
<br />hours ('nclinfT R a. m. ,Tnn/' ,~ to he 1.87 inch!'s. It- was evidently
<br />t'"' . -. . . ...
<br />heaviclo farther south, as indic'ntclll>y the stat~'mcnts I"l'g"llnling- the .
<br />storm, Imt it is not belic\'el1 to have bl'cn as s'",'(,l"e as (,hat in the areas
<br />of intense rainfall.
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