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. . -,- GORE CREEK FLOODPLAIN INFORMATION REPORT Constrictions in Channel Due to Development The Gore Valley is approximately ten miles long and the valley has been shaped by Pliestocene glacier action throughout much of the length I. GORE CREEK AREA HISTQRY AND BACKGROUND into the classical U-shaped section. Development within the valley has location been confined to the valley floor because of the steepness of the adjacent Gore Creek is located west of the Continental Oivide in Colorado and is bounded on the north and south by the 39043' and the 39031' latitude, respectively. Gore Creek lies In the upper Colorado River basin and contributes directly to the Eagle River at Dowds Junction, The Gore Creek basin area at the confluence with the Eagle River totals 102 square miles. The Eagle River then flows into the Colorado slopes and the U.S. Forest boundaries. As a consequence of the limited space on the valley floor and the need to preserve portions of the valley as open space, such as parks and golf courses, a significant pressure has developed for higher density land utilization throughout the Gore Creek Valley. One of the results of this land use pressure has been frequent infringement into the edges River at Dotsero, Colorado. of the natural flood plain. Unfortunately, this has also adversely affected the aesthetic quality of the streamside environment. Settlement and Economic History Populated areas along Gore Creek are West Vail, the Town of Vail and the Bighorn area (2.5, 5 and 9 miles from the mouth, respectively). The development has resulted in various manwmade constrictions in the channel and flood plain of Gore Creek, some in the form of bridges and buildings and some as grade leveling and filling. Consequently, the need has arisen for a hydrologic study to define flooding threats to the existing development and provide information for guiding orderly growth within the valley. Recent annexation has enlarged the town limits to include part of West Vail and the Bighorn area. Settlement in the Upper Eagle and Gore Valleys began late in the nineteenth century as mining and sheep ranching developed on the western Colorado slope. The small communities that developed became more economically sound with the completion of the Denver and Rio-Grande Railroad, which was routed through Tennessee Pass, down the Eagle and Colorado Rivers to Grand Junction. The Gore Valley remained much the same from the early 1900's until the Vail ski resort development was initiated in the early 1950's. The Vail area has since grown to an internationally recognized ski and four-season recreation area. - ,- , , , .' 'l , , - ,._, ~, "."' T ,~