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<br />.r.O<< ""Hr, lasted much :",.,~ec tho' "J,... _,'",. ~ .
<br />~ " c ~ v'' ",e nver '~.'-' oll ov~rf,o",
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<br />.",~t"r recharge ar"~, and possibly also as " nursery ~rea for aquatic
<br />v,,~n~
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<br />stage at Oe\ None fr= about ~o, " ,_ '''~' '". ,,' ,. ,. .
<br />v ~~" v n" nH years, Be '00...
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<br />3nnu31specie.. po,tions of the flood plain also have potential aa ps.rkand
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<br />Flooding in the study at"ea can result fro", snowmelt runoff, gene-c..l
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<br />reo .", ~ io n are a., and as a vis ua I ll;< eenbe It.
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<br />FLOODRISTOR'i
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<br />stage has r",""ined for only a fe.. days. The hi~h"st flood .inee gaging
<br />.ration ..,cords heve ""en kept ""~ that of June 1927; bat the Hood of 1884,
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<br />..hieh """,.n.,.,. .., "",_A ~ . ~ ,.
<br />_ v ~ ", 'v," ,,~ti ~eeo "stab"ahed, may have been
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<br />higher "nd the Ootohu- 1911 flood ...as higher at Del Norte. The flood of
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<br />1927 was c""sed by" combination of all facton: bc""y anow co"cr, precipi-
<br />tation in ,', '0=" "0" '0". .' lb'
<br />~ ,,_, ...o\ole.. im,o"..ute y y sudden "ncrease 1n
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<br />rains, cloudbur.t storms, or a combination of those conditions. The runoff
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<br />temperature, and rain durin~ the period of ma~imum snow melting. A mOre
<br />detailed deacriotion of this event ia".....,..,'.,,,
<br />." "" oHowing newspaper
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<br />fro", .no,,",elt occurs during the period from late May to early July. Thia u
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<br />the time of the year thst the study erea is most susceptible to flooding,
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<br />srticlefromtheMonteViotaJournaI,Julyl,l'127.
<br />Rio Crande Ri\fer Reaches Flood Sta~ and Creat Damage Results
<br />to tl1e Road., Brid.~es and Crop.
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<br />e.pecIally if there is W"[tller than uaual temperature. and the anoWllle1t is
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<br />aUlI;Olentedwithrain. Runoff fromanOWlllelt" is characterized by moderate peak
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<br />Estimated
<br />!reqo.:e_~c'y of Occurrence
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<br />A number of cloudbursta and incesaant rain for four days on
<br />the RioCrande wntershedh"ve cauaed the RioCrande River tOlloon
<br />a rampage during the Past week, floodin.~ the low lands and rhcr
<br />rancheaandco\ferinll;approacheatotheriverbridgea. Anllmberof
<br />bridgeshavebeen",ashedoutneartheheadoftheri\ferbutnone
<br />of the bridges on the highway ~tween Monte Vista and Creede have
<br />go""out.
<br />. The Squaw Creek and ''Thirty-mile'' b.idges, near the FQtTUer~
<br />Un10n, were taken out by thehill;h water whIch reacbeda tre"",ndouS
<br />crest the flrst of theweel<. Otherbridge.removedweretheAtt
<br />Neale bridge at Blue Creek, the Rh'erside bridge and the Collar
<br />bridge. Thebrid,!:e st Wsgon Wneel Cap is safe but the approaches
<br />are flooded and traffic '" Illade over the railroad bridge.
<br />The D&RGW train ~nt to Oel Norte Wednesday but haoked down
<br />to Montc Vista as t"e tucks"""re threatened. Since that ti_ the
<br />tr.~in nas not gone weat beyond thu town.
<br />Although some cara ha~e passed over the Gunbarrel road
<br />between townandthebridge,a1",ost the entire distance iaunder
<br />"'atera"dthesa,""condition is found intheSoldiers' II""", lane
<br />and the Stoeher lane. k~idents of the north countt)' are making
<br />their trip. t" this place by ""'.y of AlaOJlou.
<br />Resides the damage to roads and bridges, the lettuce c...opa "p
<br />the river andhllyerops are badly affected. Some cattle "'ere
<br />drowned near Del N"rte.
<br />1:he w,1ter reaohed the 1.ightner pl.,ee, on,,-half mi.le north of
<br />Mc>nt"Vista.
<br />Gte... weat~er to'hy and the "oticeable lower in'!, or tll" ".Her
<br />in the river indicat~. that t!'le dan"er of further floo' ,
<br />_ i. pas,
<br />"\'Iles.rains should start "g..in.
<br />It i. nported l',at '0"," CHI bunk hOllSeS .."d a garap-" On
<br />Squ." Creek ",ere wasbed away hy " cloud burst Tuesday ~rning.
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<br />nows, long duration, and large volu..es of "'liter. Most of the annual rain-
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<br />fall occur. during the ~onth5 of July through October. The intensity of
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<br />rainhll 's "..,..d.....~t.. to high ~nd the runoff ia Char&cteri~~d by high peal<
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<br />flows of short dur~tion with Tp.latively small volume. of water.
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<br />Following 'Ire notable floods of record..t various locationa, dischan:e.
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<br />and estimated frequency of occur:~nc":
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<br />Di.cnarll;e
<br />Cubic Feet/Second
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<br />Location
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<br />Date
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<br />Spring 1884
<br />June5,1'105
<br />Oot.5,I'1lt
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<br />20,000-:':
<br />10,000
<br />6,000
<br />18,000
<br />9,&30
<br />15,000
<br />7,100
<br />8,060
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<br />Ala"",sa
<br />OelNorte
<br />South Fork
<br />Del Norte
<br />Del Norte
<br />Del Norte
<br />HonteVista
<br />Del ~orte
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<br />a
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<br />June13,l921
<br />June29,1927
<br />1>Iay22,1'148
<br />May 30, 1979
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<br />(Below study ares)
<br />Leastl1an50-yr.
<br />Greater than 100-yr.
<br />Crellter than IOO-yr.
<br />Leu than 50--yr.
<br />Creater than IOO-yr.
<br />(8elow study area)
<br />Approximately IO-yr.
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<br />Of the se"er~l recorded tloods, all ~ut (One occurred durinlt the ".,nth.
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<br />of May to Joly. The flood of June 1884, cao5~d primarily by extraordinary
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