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<br />I
<br />
<br />S""""",v of Historical Floods
<br />As disclosed in early-day newspaper files, the flood
<br />of J<JnelC, 1864__onlyfive years after the f o<Jndingof Colorado
<br />City (now the west part of COlorado Springs)--marked the beginning
<br />of Colorado Springs' flood hietory. News accounts of afea flooding
<br />in subsequent years ate profuse in describing effects that were
<br />meaningful to local residents at the time of publication, but they
<br />rarely discuss damages or a particolar stream in sufficient detail
<br />to enable valid ~agnitude determinations. Accordingly, Table 2
<br />lists the highest ton Monument Creek floods known to have cllused
<br />damage, and reletive size compa,isons ar~ nat attempted. 0" the
<br />baa is of available peck discharge data elane, the floods of le64,
<br />1896, and 1935 would be classed as n~jor in dBstructive c~pability.
<br />The Nay 1935 flood "as the highBst of record on Monu""mt Creek,
<br />~1so ~ttalning the unenuiable distinction of being the most devas-
<br />t~ting flood in the city's history.
<br />
<br />Flood De~~riptions
<br />Following are descriptions of known large floods that
<br />have occurred on Mooument Cr~ek in the vicinity of Color~do Springs.
<br />
<br />June10,l864
<br />In describing the flood of June 10, 1864, hiatorical
<br />accounts generally identify Fountain Creak, rather than Monum~nt
<br />Creek, as the principal offending strOam, and flooding effects
<br />below ColoradO Springs (on Fountain Croek) are covered in greatest
<br />detail. Unquestionably, however, the flood originated in Monument
<br />Creek. Its estimated peak discharge of 40,000 cubic fset par
<br />second at Colorado Springs signifies a flood of major proportiano,
<br />IIIhile the reported looe of 13 lives reflects its demagepotential.
<br />An artiale on early-day events in the Colorado Spring5
<br />aree, published in the ColoradO Springs Ga~ette of June 27, 1674,
<br />refers to the IB64 flood as follolols' "...al:lout4 o'cloak...ths
<br />
<br />Dat" of Crest.
<br />
<br />[~U.",,,ted
<br />Peek
<br />Disc:haroe
<br />c.r.s.
<br />
<br />rain Came dOllln, not indrope,l:Iut in floods; ttl"hailconsist..dof
<br />huge lUIlIps of ice. some of Uw," over 3 inche~ in di.."..t"r; the
<br />whole surfece of tho country ..ee flooded ~s though. it were a vast
<br />lake, and in some of tho revines the lIIater rushed along in torrents
<br />20or30festdesp. Ths storrn continued in full violenceunti1
<br />a!:>out 9 o'clock.. . confined ",it'1in " rudius Df 3 or 10 mil~s... Th~
<br />
<br />TABLE 2
<br />
<br />HIGHEST TEN CAe-AGING FLOODS IN ORDER OF OCCURRENCE
<br />M~UMENT CREEK AT COLORADO SPRINGS. r,OLORADO
<br />
<br />Order
<br />Nu~ber
<br />
<br />crops ~ere almost totally destroyed, end hundreds of aCreS lIIere
<br />covsrad dth '..ash' so es to be ruin8d for cultiv..Uon."
<br />
<br />,
<br />,
<br />,
<br />,
<br />;
<br />,
<br />,
<br />e
<br />e
<br />10
<br />
<br />JunB HI, 1864
<br />JuneS,lB74
<br />July 25,1835
<br />Auguat2,1886
<br />May21,1904
<br />June 2, 1914
<br />:'ey22.1922
<br />!<ey 30_31, 193~'
<br />A;.Jgust6,194S
<br />JUM 17. 1965
<br />
<br />40,000
<br />.
<br />.
<br />
<br />Julv 25. 1885
<br />According to the Coloredo Sprin~s Gezette on Juiy 28,
<br />lB85; "Tho flood in the Monument "'a" the highest within therecol-
<br />
<br />4G,OOO
<br />.
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />lection of ths old~st citizens. H earn.. roaring down <Co naUand5
<br />~s~t of Colorado Collage and ouerflow1ng thotreck of 'c, Dsnv~r
<br />and Rio Grande north of thebridQe '0 , depth of , Of 3 fset. Some
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />50,000
<br />.
<br />.
<br />
<br />of the,squattera on the flat would hava certainly been drownod h~d
<br />they not been werned of the approachinQ torrent in time to m~k~
<br />900d their e"cape. The new bridge acto"" th~ ~onument, comphtsd
<br />
<br />.~o e",~il".~~c'd tlisch.,_'tge d;,ta "v~il..b~e.
<br />
<br />,
<br />
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