FLOOD07458

• Designation Number: 200
• County: Montezuma
• Community: Mancos
• Stream Name: Mancos River and Chicken Creek
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Title: Floodplain Information Report - Master Drainage Plan - Mancos River and Chicken Creek, Mancos Colorado
• Date: 3/1/1982
• Designation Date: 8/1/1982
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

O~tober 18, 1911 (Mancos Times Tribune)

May 31, 1979 (Mancos Times Tribune)

"The floods that were raging 1ast week as we were putting out the
paper proved to be widespread and one of the most disasterous
that has visited upon this section since its occ~pation by white
man."

"The Man~os River has been presenting probl ems for,; number of
people as the high water continues... Tons and tons of huge rock
and dirt were hauled by the state highway crews and placed along
the bank to keep the water from washing around the bridge [U.S.
160 By-pa.s)... the water was the dirtiest and angriest it has
been in many years... Glen Humiston, Water Commissioner, reported
the water had reached a reading of 1575 [cfs] and flood stage is
between 800 [cfs] and 1000 [cfs]."

~.ay 4, 1937 (I~agnitude and Frequency of Floods, Colorado, USGS, 1963)
Gage 3700 on the Mancos River at Mancos recorded d pedk flow of
8'12 cfs. The flm'" rate is lessened by upstrNm irrigation
di~ersions.

Little other flood history information is available for Chicken Creek. No
stream records exist for the stream. The June 1973,threatofBauerLake
dam failing was averted by local authorities taking immediate corrective

June 29, 1938 (Ma9nitude and Frequency of Floods, Colorado, USGS, 1963)
Gage 3700 on the Mancos River at Mancos recorded a peak flow of
662 cfs. The flow rate is lessened by upstream irri9ation
dhersions."

measureS.

May 13, 1941 (Magnitude and Frequency of Floods, Colorado, USGS. 1963)
"Gate 3685 on the >lest Mancos River near ~ancos recorded a peak
flowofl080cfs."
June 6, 1957 (Mancos Times Tribune)

"The ~tancos R i ~er caused cons i derab 1 e damage to i rr igati on
headgates and fields along the river... Funds were received
fr~~ the government to construct a dike along the river throu9h
:'he schoolyard with riprapping.....
Mav 24. 1973 (Mancos TiEes Tribune)
".. .Gl"n Humiston. '~dter COlTlllissioner, reported a high fl~w read.
ing of 1110 cfs but it may have been as high as 1150 cfs LMancos.
Ri~er in Mancos] ...trees along the banks have been undercut untll
they fa 11, and they; n turn cause troubl e by bd(ki~g up the water. ..
the ri~er has one of the greatest amounts of veloclty and
power because of the extrerne fall per mile... it has been.
alive this year as it defied its bounds by chewlng and grlnd-
ing away at every small curve... because of early rainfall and
~,,~vy ,~nw~, much damage is bei nQ done from eros i on. "

June 7, 1973 (Mancos Times Tribune)
"Flash flood warnings were given to residents bel~' Ba~er Lake
along Chicken Creek as the dam holding.over 1500 acre-feet of
water began giving away... Several reSIdents below the dom along
C~icken Creek He in danger... Chicken Creek will be the maln
course for the waters from Bauer L3k~ H the d~m breaks and it
i, very inadeq~ate to carry that a110unt of woter."

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