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<br />Flood of June 1891. The failure, 9 June 1891, of the wasteway at <br /> <br /> <br />the Chambers Lake Reservoir on the headwaters of the Cache 1a Poudre <br /> <br />River caused a severe flood on that river. According to the local <br /> <br /> <br />newspaper, the break was apparently caused by increased melting of the <br /> <br />mDuntain snow, due tD the warm weather a few days before. This flood <br /> <br /> <br />destroyed the recorder at the gaging station near the mouth of the <br /> <br /> <br />canyon, hence no official record is available. The water commissioner, <br /> <br /> <br />who was the observer, stated that the peak discharge was about 21,000 <br /> <br />c.f,s. This estimate was evidently based on a high water mark. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The Fort Collins Courier, in its issue of 11 June 1891, gives the <br />following account of this flood: <br /> <br />"About 4 p.m. June 9, the water superintendent was notified that a <br /> <br /> <br />terrific flood was rushing down the (Cache 1a) Poudre canyon carrying <br /> <br /> <br />everything before it, <br /> <br />"On came the mad, rushing torrent toward the plains, with deafening <br /> <br /> <br />~oar bridges, fences, headgates, buildings, cattle, and horses <br /> <br /> <br />were swept into the . . . flood. <br /> <br />"The island below the LaPorte bridge . . , was completely <br /> <br /> <br />submerged, the water covering the f1Dor of Mr. Nugent's h, ,use to a <br /> <br /> <br />depth of 2 1/2 feet, <br /> <br />"The flood reached the railroad bridge north Df the city (Fort <br /> <br /> <br />Collins) about 5 p,m. The bottom1ands between the millrace and <br /> <br /> <br />river were nearly all under water. The meadows and fields on the north <br /> <br /> <br />and east side of the river were flooded. <br /> <br />"An eye witness of the flood as it broke thrDugh the Poudre canyon <br /> <br /> <br />says the wall of water was fully 10 feet high and that logs and trees <br /> <br /> <br />were tossed about like twigs." <br /> <br />18 <br /> <br />. <br />