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<br />
<br />c. Photographs taken during and arter the rloods.
<br />
<br />II. Flocds in the Scuth Platte River Basin
<br />
<br />6. Flcods or June 1947. The ccoperative snow surveys reported an
<br />above ncrmal accumulation or snow in the mountains on 1 May. Heavy pre-
<br />cipitaticn was added to the snow cover during Hay and the early part or
<br />June. Rapid melting or the late snow at lower elevations during the per-
<br />iod 14-20 June caused all the Front Range streams a s well as the main
<br />stem or the South Platte River tc rise to near rlood stage. Scattered
<br />rainstorms occurred over the basin during the period 17-21 June, culmina-
<br />ting in heavy general rains on 22 June. The storm runorf combined with
<br />the snowmelt runoff resulted in flood stages on many of the Front RanEe
<br />streams and the main stem of the South Platte River.
<br />
<br />,;;
<br />
<br />"I
<br />~ 7. Flood discharges. Table No.1 below lists the peak flood dis-
<br />oharges during June 1947, according to preliminary estimates by the Colo-
<br />rado State Engineer's Of rice; and the peak discharges of record for the
<br />South Platte River and tributary streams at points of interest.
<br />
<br />TABLE 1. 1947 Peak Discharges and Maximum Discharges of Record
<br />
<br />.'.._.._._ ..____.__..._,~_._ ...._ _._.._ _ ....____n..'.___._~_____ _._____.~___. .._..~_._,_ _._____. _'. __._._____...
<br />
<br />:t
<br />
<br />I Stream Location l' 19.47 peak, di_SChargeJ ~~x~:E~~~;~~~ge Of."
<br />
<br />~.._____________._._______ ,... , :::_~r.~::.._~__ ~r:.~:f.':.C.::f:~__-t---- '. .~:':~:-
<br />
<br />South Platte Denver, Colo. '4,580 ! 6-22-47 22,000 9-10-33
<br />River Henderson, Colo.1 5,700 I 6-22-47 10,700 4-26-42
<br />Kersey, Colo. :15,800 I 6-24-47 30,000 6-7-21
<br />Ft. Morgan,Colo.jlO,200 6-25-47
<br />Balzac, Colo. i 8,800 6-25-47 65,000* 5-31-35
<br />Julesburg, Colo. 112,000 6-28-47 31,300 6-2-35
<br />
<br />I .,
<br />Cache la I
<br />Poudre River Greeley, Colo. I 4,050 6-20-47 I 4,240
<br />
<br />Drake, Colo. I j
<br />(Power house) II 1,900 6-21-47 ! 8,000
<br />Drake, Colo. I
<br />(Canyon mouth) j' 2,320 6-21-471 5,600
<br />
<br />Platteville,Colo I
<br />(Mouth) i 7,000 6-23-47 ;11,300
<br />I
<br />
<br />6-26-1-7
<br />
<br />Big Thompson
<br />River
<br />
<br />7-31-19
<br />
<br />9-1-38
<br />
<br />St. Vrain
<br />Creek
<br />
<br />9-3-38
<br />
<br />*Approximate
<br />
<br />8. Main stem or South Platte River. The South Platte River began
<br />rising about 4 Juno, reached bankfull stage on 10 June, and maintained
<br />overbank rlow until about 2 July. Between a point five miles north of
<br />Denver, Colorado, and Fort Morgan, Colorado, approximately 19,500 acres
<br />of bottom land were inundated: 300 acres of cultivated land, 1,000 acres
<br />or hay and meadow land, and 18,200 acres of pasture and waste land. Four
<br />groups of farm buildings were inundated and slightly damaged. Water
<br />
<br />-2-
<br />
<br />.'
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