FLOOD06660

• County: Douglas
• County: El Paso
• County: Elbert
• Community: Franktown, Parker
• Stream Name: Cherry Creek Watershed
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Franktown Parker Tributaries fo Cherry Creek Watershed
• Date: 4/1/1960
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: USDA Soil Conservation Service
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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EXISTIiIG OR PROPOSED ~IORKS OF ll1PROVEl'iENT

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The Franktown-Parker Watershed lies within the Cherry Creek
Soil Conservation District. The District and its cooperators are
actively carrying out a soil and moisture conservation program with
technical assistance furnished by the Soil Conservation Service.
There are 173 ranch units in the watershed, and 93 of these have basic
farm and ranch plans. Some of the existing plans need to be revised
to include additional measures having significant hydrologic effects,

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There are 13,732 acres of privately-olmed forest and brush
lands in the watershed, Some management prograr..s are in existence but
more are needed. The primary need is to improve cover conditions
and to establish an adequate level of fire protection for these lands,
In 1956-1957, cooperative agreements were signed between the U, S,
Forest Service and the Colorado State Forest Service for participation
in the management and fire protection of ~rivate lands, including
the lands in this project. In 1958 a volunteer fire department was
organized at Parker. A fire truck and other equipment was purchased
and the construction of a fire house commenced, Fire fighting
assistance is also available from the fire departments at Black Forest
and Castle Rock, Colorado.

Table la shows the amount of protection and management work
done during the past few years,

,IORKS OF lllPROVEMENT TO BE INSTALLED

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Land Treatment lIeasures for vlatershed Protection

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The progr&u of land treatment measures proposed for this watershed
contemplates the installation of needed measures on a minimum of 60
per cent of the area above structural works of improvement and a
minimum of 50 per cent throughout the remainder of the watershed,
Em:ohasis "ill be ,)laced on s;oeeding up the establislunent of those
lanet treatment measures that will have a substantial effect on the
reduction of floodwater and sediment damages,

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One of the basic land treatment measures to be est~olished is a
conservation crop~ing Systff" on both dry and irrigated cropland, This
measure is effective in maintaining soil fertility and good soil
structure, thereby im~roving infiltration and reducing erosion.
Contour farming, strip cropping, and stubble mulching to be applied
on dry cropland will reduce erosion hazards, help maintain organic
matter, improve soil tilth, and increase the "later-holding capacity
of the soil. The grassed vmterways, gradient terraces, grade
stabilization structures, and diversions will support the vegetative
~ractices in the control of runoff and erosion.