FLOOD08422

• Designation Number: 27
• County: El Paso
• Community: Colorado Springs
• Stream Name: Sand Creek
• Basin: Arkansas
• Title: Flood Hazard Analysis - Sand Creek, Colorado Springs, El Paso County
• Date: 7/1/1973
• Designation Date: 10/1/1973
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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llazards into account when evaluating pwr.s and SI'.an en"",,w>age lemd I<ae
app~opPiate to the deg~ee of hazard involved.

long, averages about three miles in width, and drains an area of
appro;<;ir.tately S3 square miles. Upper reaches of the ~'atershed begin
at 7,620 feet m~an sea level elevation and Sand Creek joins Fountain
Creek at about 5,780 feet elevation. Tt.e topography is characterizfld
by rolling hills and ridg~s which are generally steeper in the upper
"..atershcd.

As coordinator for all water studie~ in the state, the Colorado ~ater Con-
servation Board establi~hes pTioriti~s and schedules these studies on a
priority basis.

The City of Colorado Springs and El Paso County participated in the
study by providing: aerial photographs, estimates of present and future
flood plain use, survey crew assistance, and funds for printing the final
report. Technical services by the Soil Conservation Service were funded
through regular agency appropriations.

The study area begins at the confluence with Fountain Creek and
extends upstream along the flood plains of Sand Creek and its two
major tributaries, East Fork and Center Tributary. Total length of
stream Teaches studied in this report is about 31 miles. The flood
plains vary in width from 100 to 300 feet in the upper reaches to
about 0.4-mileneaT the confluence of Sand Creek with thc East Fork.
A map of the flood hazard study area is shown on page S.

The survey, hydrologic, hydraulic, and other pertinent data and
computations are on file ~'ith the Soil Conservation Service, U. S.
Department of Agriculture, 2490 West 20th Avenue, Denver, COlorado
302l1.

F.(OOMl1g8.(.tua.:U0Il

'GfNERAL CO~~ITIONS ANV PAST FLOODS

Except dudng.thcpcriods of storm runoff, thc stTeamhed of Sand
Creek is dry. The flood-pToducin~ stoTms normally occur during the
SUJn.':ler months from May through August. Runoff fTom melting SnOW does
not contribute materially to flooding on Sand Creek.

DMC/'...tp-UOr. 06 .th{ 8.tudlJ ,v,ea

Sand Creek drainage basin, located in the west central portion
of EI Paso County, originates to the north ~nd e~~t of the City of
COlorado Springs. l'Io~'ing in a southwesterly direction, Sand Creek,
the East Fork of Sand Creek, andthcCcntcrTributarypass thl'OU gh
the eastern limits of Colorado Springs. The flood water drains
into Fountain Creek, a major tTibutnry to the Arkansas River, about
one~half mile south of the city limits. The watershed is 13 miles

Sand Creek is typical of many ephemeral streans in that there is
tendency for the char.nel tor..eandor. Meandering takes place over a
period of years and is caused by storn r..moffof difforcnt rnagnitudtls
which result in varying degrees of stTeiunbank and channel erosion, and
sediment deposition. The historical evidence of meandering is pre-
dominate in thc lower reaches of the ~atershed where there is rela-

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