FLOOD08183

• County: Summit
• Community: Breckenridge
• Stream Name: Blue River
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Title: Floodplain Information Breckenridge
• Date: 9/1/1974
• Prepared For: Summit County
• Prepared By: Leonard Rice Consulting Water Engineers, Inc.
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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- 2 -

town is the Blue River. Minor tributaries discharging into
the Blue River in the vicinity of Breckenridge include
Lehman Gulch, Swan River, Illinois Gulch, Spring Gulch, French
Gulch, Sawmill Gulch, and others. The location of Breckenridge
and its relationship to the streams is shown in Plate

The major basin in the Breckenridge area is defined at
the point where the Blue River enters Dillon Reservoir. A
United States Geological Survey continuous recording stream
gage is located approximately 1.5 miles above the reservoir.
The drainage area above this gage is 119 square miles and has
a mean elevation of 9700 ft. above'm~an~sea level. The drain-
\.'-'-~
age area above the tmm of Breckenridge is approximately 55
square miles and has a mean elevation of 10,500 ft. above
( J.. 'G\.......~lc:
mean sea level. t (" , (
~ ~t.-Y"""<(( ~ .

A major hydrologic feature on the Blue River is the Goose
Pasture Tarn Reservoir. The reservoir is located approximately
2 miles above Breckenridge, and has a drainage area of

approximately 43.5 square miles.
natural and man-made lakes are in

Many other
the basin.

smaller and

Breckenridge is surrounded on three sides by mountain
ranges. All the tributaries or sub-basins to the Blue River
in the Breckenridge area have their headwaters on the mountain
divides. On the west side of the Blue River is the Ten Mile
Range with peak elevations ranging from 12,850 to 14,282 ft.
above mean sea level. The Continental Divide forms the
southern and eastern boundaries of the basin. Peak elevations
along this portion of the basin range fron 12,245 to 12,382 ft.
above mean sea level. Tributaries to the Blue River with
head waters on the mountain divides have the characteristic
steep slopes and rather long and narrow valleys. Over half
=----- - --
the area in the Blue River basin above Breckenridge is above
timber line with vegetation limited to alpine tundra. The
remaining is land covered by spruces, lodge pole pines, firs,
and other conifers. '