FLOOD06791

• County: Hinsdale
• Community: Lake City
• Stream Name: Henson Creek
• Basin: Gunnison
• Title: Henson Creek Flood Control Improvements
• Date: 12/1/1985
• Prepared For: Lake City
• Prepared By: Westwater Engineering
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Project

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Drainage Basins and CharacterIstics
ThE upper draInage bfslns of Henson Creek and the lake Fork of the
Gunnisor, 6re SimIlar ~ri ar~~ ana P~lyslcal chara:ter:SllCS. henscn

Creek has a draInage area of 91.0 square miles. The Lake Fork of the
Gunnison has a drainage area of 146.8 square miles above the mouth of
Henson Creek. Henson Creek flows primarily in an easterly direction with
tributaries coming in from the north and south. The Lake Fork of the
Gunnison initially flows easterly in the upper half and in the lower half
it takes a long, 900 bend northward before entering Lake City.
The following information on the Lake Fork of the Gunnison was
taken from reference #2.
Mean Basin Elevation - 11,500 ft.
Channel Slope - .396
Channel Length - 23.7 mi.
Basin Length - 13.8 mi.
Basin Width - 8.3 mi.
Channel Aspect - 740
Basin Aspect - 550

Land Use:
Forest - 66%
Agriculture
Range - 28%
Water - 0
Urban - 1%

o

Henson Creek has a similar elevation, topography and land use.

Elevations in the study area range from over 14,000 feet in the
western headwaters to B670 feet at Lake City. Topography, particularly
in the side basins and headwaters, is very rugged and steep. Tributaries
may drop 3,000 to 4,000 feet over 3 to 4 miles. The main valleys of the
Lake Fork and Henson Creek have a more gentle gradient below 10,000 feet.
Three types of vegetation zones are present in the study area: Alpine,
Sub-alpine and Montane. Grasses and sedges grow in the tundra zone
above tree line. The trees are comprised primarily of spruce, fir and
aspen, with some cottonwoods in the valley floor. In the lower areas,
there are some irrigated pastures and sagebrush meadows.
Approximately 300 acre feet of irrigation water are diverted annually
on the Lake Fork above Lake City. The Lake Fork also flows through Lake
San Cristobal, a natural lake created by a large mud slide in the early
1900s, which attenuates its flows. There are no diversions or dams of
significance on Henson Creek.

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