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<br />ClJRRENTFLOODSITUATlON
<br />
<br />is e~~ected for the city ~nd county in the foreseeable future, and
<br />pressures leading to intensified flOOd plain land use will undoubt_
<br />edly ~cco"r;any such dovelopment.
<br />
<br />Oevelopments in ths Flood Plain
<br />Plates 3 through 7 show tho study "rea ~imits ~nd flood
<br />
<br />pleins
<br />to ths
<br />
<br />~long
<br />mouth
<br />
<br />Monument [rseK from its co~flU,,nC8 \IJith FQUnt~irl Grsek
<br />
<br />tairl Frorltel Renge, tho
<br />developmsrlt to the ~8st
<br />
<br />creek
<br />
<br />Flowing south along ths Rocky ~oun.
<br />genarally separates the foothills
<br />
<br />ObstrLctions tn Floodflow;
<br />Restrictions in the path of flood~~t8rs often ca~su
<br />varying and unpredictable flooding depths. Natur~l obetr~ction~
<br />to floodflo~" occur ~o6tly in the upper half of the study reach
<br />
<br />of Kettle Creek,
<br />
<br />from the mere concentratBd urbani~~tion ex_
<br />
<br />tending eafitw~rd ~cross the high plateau, Residentiel d~velop~ent
<br />nppeare to be gaining momerltum in outlying erees from the ~attle
<br />Crssk confluence do~ostreaM to the vicinity of Fillmore Street,
<br />ScettarBd homes, subdivisions, and mobile home parks are loc~ted
<br />in the lower valley areas ~here the flood risk can increase should
<br />indisoriminate encroaahment un ~ctu~l flood plain lerlds become a
<br />prevailirlg practice. Such encroachmsrlt ~ppBars to be i~minent ~t
<br />some poi~t". Monument Vall~y P~rk, ~ well ~airlt~inad racreetion
<br />"rea. occlJoies " considBrable portiorl of th~ flood plain extending
<br />through tha cen~r81 city. The oity'~ m~ioten~ncQ yat~6, io~ludiog
<br />storad Bquipment ~nd numerous ~~rehouaes, ~re partially within tha
<br />flood plain on tho creek's ~cet b~nk just balow river mile 3.DD.
<br />South of the park. 6xtenGive commerciel dsv~lopment--service st~-
<br />tions, rest"utDnts, arid othar small busin~"e"enno~ ~xiet in ''''
<br />ere~ th~t waa floadsd in May 1935.
<br />Transport"Uanf"cilitiesinthenoodplnin"re"cin-
<br />elude portion" of jrltoretate Highway 25, Color"do State Highway 24.
<br />CountyRoadJA,variuusoth"rcountyroedsilndcityotroots,l'lnd
<br />rail lines of tho Denver and Rio Grande ~aetern (D&RGW) Roilroad
<br />C""'V<l"y ",.,J t,',,, C:-,i..;"",o, Roc:" l~l;md, end racifi.o (~.I&P) P~l!,,~y
<br />
<br />~here trees, b:'"sl1. end other
<br />banks obstruct ths flow path.
<br />pecially pronounced at chanrlel
<br />
<br />veg8tati'ongrowing,,10rlgthecrsek
<br />The effect of ~uch growth is es.
<br />bend.. and r.'lr'JAs. J!1arl.....ade ob~
<br />
<br />atruction" include landfills that sometimea originete a" random
<br />refuse dumps or the isolated levees that are constructed in as-
<br />~oci"tion with amall ponds. Other m"rlwmade obstructions are the
<br />approach embankments for the 17 briuges_wthree railroad and 14
<br />v"hicul"r cr~sings__and nu~erous freew"y.acc,,~s r"mps di~tributed
<br />throughout the s.tud; r""en. Figur.. 4 illustrates these typi~"l
<br />nbotructions to floOdfl~~s. T..ble 3 lis~s descriptive etructurul
<br />information for the various bridge croseings a'lu repl'a~"fltetiv~
<br />photographs "") "how'n In Figuras 5 and 6.
<br />
<br />O~her Factorc Affectinn Floodinq
<br />N"merous ",,,tetshad treatment "'e8~"re~ consisting of
<br />smt.lll re,,~rvoirs and divarSf"n $t.rlJct"~es are located thrOl.J~hout
<br />tha Gont~ibuting ~atershed. Those mea$urcs ure beneficial in in-
<br />ore,,~i"9 infilt~atiu" rat,,'s and rsdud"'l rUrloff from floods of
<br />small megnitude. Large floods are relatively unaffected by the
<br />
<br />~ttud"r~~ ;;,\(.1, ~~,,~,,~~ Qf In.,J..q''aL,, $pillw~y$ ana d~ierr$d
<br />
<br />Aa ~reviously u"~,,,'iw..J, ud,,,,.,, C",lQr~d" ~p.ings and
<br />El Paso County hDV~ ~xperiencad explosivB pepulation growth during
<br />thB 1960~1970 dac",de. Vigoro,"" nnd prolo."'g"d anono..ic L1evelapnlant
<br />
<br />~~intenanc~, they could i~pose greater hal~rd on properties rarther
<br />uU""$lr"a~. Urlcontrolhd urban develOjl,"ant has ofb", disrupted
<br />local drainago pattern9, 1ncre"sed "_moff "rid, in $O~e instances,
<br />~"gat"d the SUCC"9a of tre~tmant measu,""s In adj""ent dr~in"gu~.
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<br />Company.
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