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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />Communitv DescriDtion <br /> <br />Custer County is located in central Colorado. It is bounded on the north by Fremont County, on <br />the south by Huerfano County, on the east by Pueblo County and on the west by Saguache <br />County. The area studied for the Custer County FHBM's covers locations throughout the county. <br /> <br />Watershed DescriDtion <br /> <br />Grape Creek originates in Custer County west of Westcliffe. The headwaters are located in the <br />San Isabel National Forest at elevations near 14,000 feet. The creek flows northeasterly from it's <br />origin through Custer County to its confluence with the Arkansas River upstream of the City of <br />Canon City in Fremont County. Grape Creek at the Custer-Fremont county line is over 300 <br />square miles. There are numerous tributaries to Grape Creek within Custer County, most of <br />which have not been studies in detail. <br /> <br />Flood in I! Problems and Floodinl! Historv <br /> <br />Flooding in Custer County generally occurs in the spring and early summer as a result of rapid <br />melting of the mountain snowpack. Snowmelt flooding is characterized by moderate peak flows <br />and large volumes of water over a long duration. The peak flows have a noticeable diurnal <br />fluctuation. Snowmelt flooding may occasionally be augmented by rainfall. Flooding from <br />general rainstorms may also occur during the months of June through October. General rainfall <br />flooding is characterized by higher peak flows with a moderate volume and a moderate duration. <br />Flooding is most severe when antecedent rainfall has resulted in saturated ground conditions or <br />the ground is frozen and infiltration is minimal, in either case. Convective type cloudburst storms <br />sometimes lasting for several hours, can be expected to occur in the Ramah area during the <br />summer months. The cloudburst storms can cause high peak flows with a small water volume <br />over a short duration. <br /> <br />Research of the study area yielded minimal information regarding major flooding events in Custer <br />County. In spite of the long history of human activity in Custer County, there are no historical <br />accounts of major flooding on Grape Creek and or its tributaries within the county. There have <br />been, however, occurrences of high water in the past. <br />