|
<br />
<br />Oeto!x>r. Precipitation rt)CordsrorSleamboat
<br />Springs show that a storm in Oeto!x>r 1925
<br />produced 1.13 inches of rain over a2.day
<br />period, and thai a storm in Scptember 1939
<br />proouccd 1.64 incht'S ia a 3.(lay period. The
<br />highest runoffo! record on the Yampa River,
<br />June 1921,wa8 the result o! heavy rain fall.
<br />inli: on a meltinR .nowpack. There is little
<br />definit,w information available on flooding
<br />from cloudbur.;t lItorms in the Steamboat
<br />Springs area. The storm thatcau8ed f100dinl{
<br />in the city in 1921 ma.y have been ac1ouu.
<br />burst. It produced more than 2.5 incheso!
<br />
<br />II
<br />I,
<br />I
<br />Ii
<br />.1
<br />
<br />rain. but its duration is conjectural. A md-\'
<br />imum of 2.0.1 inch"" in 3 hours has o,.en
<br />recorded cls'ewhere in the region. Thus
<br />flooding from c1{llJdbllrst storms tS ~
<br />probability in the Steamooat Spring:l area.
<br />
<br />Studiea made for this report show that the
<br />100.year flood on the streams under stud,'
<br />would result from snowmelt augmented b;'
<br />rain. and that the 5oo.year flood would rl:'Sult
<br />from general rain on the Yampa River and
<br />from cloudbur$t storm~ on the tribular)"
<br />creeks.
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />FLOOD HISTORY
<br />The won;tknown flooding in theSteamooat
<br />Springs area occurre<l in June 1921 and
<br />April 1974, Ncwspaper accounts' describe
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />the 1921 flood. which oe~urrcd principally on
<br />the Yampa Ri\'erandSodaCrc~k.as!ollows:
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />RoutlCo~n,yh..'hi.w..k"p<ri<nool
<br />w......<Qndiu.""r.."'high..'.t<rth.n
<br />....rt>of.....in..u..firot..U"''''.nIQr
<br /><hi. po,lion <>f Ih. ""~nty. Trao.1 .Wr
<br />"'Uy.. .highway. hu b..n
<br />"""'pl<I.ly,utoll,arut.....r.tIQ..n'
<br />alm".ti~lotod ,
<br />W.,,,, ,,'.athor "U,inK Ih. PM' 1"'0
<br />w<cl<< h....I",.rlypu, th''''''"",1
<br />flood .!"llC.. <1.0'" ,.,.~Id ",olti'll" 01 th.
<br />"''''''onll>l-hi~h.rmounl.i".,but.'ai"
<br />ooTut'<<la,r.ft<-r"""'n'ooni;!'I,,,'hi.1,
<br />.lrn<>>t_u",...lclnu,lbu""p"':>Orlio,",
<br />,.i....cth.w,""ltI.hi"h.,po'n'th.n
<br />"'"'.noW"!..r.,.
<br />
<br />I
<br />,
<br />Ii
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />...TI,Oll"c..""tdo"-or.II'ppoa""lo
<br />ba". be.n on u~~., Sod. C,..k. and
<br />b<{..."mo'ninKth.t.t"amh.dbc..-om.
<br />. mi>thly '.".nl. mu,h ~'O.'<r
<br />'ban...lI... I.ln""ln Avenu<"u,"in...
<br />w...hlolo....,...,od.",_TI,'.'M.,
<br />Uaekroup,m:tltiOj:obigl.kot>.,w<<,"
<br />!;iovonlh and Tn-.Jf,h S,.....u and
<br />""'ro""d;"~,""<rath.u....
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />Floodwat<Jr ultimalel" flowed acl'O><.~ l.inroln
<br />Avenue in a strcam half a blocll wide. The
<br />bridge was damaged and the streambanll
<br />eroded: Between Lincoln Avenue and Ihe
<br />river, Sod:t Creell wa;; .300 to 500 feet wid,'.
<br />Alonl':" the Yampa. the railroad was bad I)'
<br />{hmal't~d at Mveral location~ belwM"n the
<br />
<br />de!X)t and the Ilpper end of town. Railroad
<br />\r"ffi~ and power ,eneratio" were In.
<br />t.crruptcd.considerabledebriscollect.cdat
<br />bridges and h:td to be removed. and mis.
<br />cellaneous other nood darnall''' oeeurred.
<br />RiVl.'r staKe at n l':":t,o:c on the 5th Street
<br />Ilridge was 6.66 feet. which indicated a now
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />'1l."lI('''''",yS~nIL".I, t',id"Y_Ju"< Ii. 1'21.
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />ofaboU! 7.000 cubic feet per second or 1,000
<br />cubic feet per second grMter than any
<br />pre,'ious now of record, Flow in SOOaCreek
<br />wase.Jtimnted at 2.000 cubic fect per second
<br />and flow in Walton Creek was measured at
<br />2,800 cubic feet per S('<.:ond,
<br />StaJ,[esofall tbe streams in thcSteamhoat
<br />Sprinl':"s area were hil':"ner in April 1974 than
<br />at anv other time in recent history. but
<br />dama'ge occurred principally along
<br />Buteherknife Creell. Three day~ of un.
<br />sensonably warm weather (which accelcratro
<br />snowmelt) and a heavy rain trigi1:ered
<br />flooding that began al 6:00 P.M. On April
<br />25th and Insted until midnight on the 27th.
<br />Flooding of disastrous proportions along the
<br />rivuand Fish Creekwa. prevented by 200,
<br />300 volunteer noodfighters who filled and
<br />placed sandbags at critical locations such as
<br />Dream Island and the sewai1:e lagoons east of
<br />
<br />Fish Creek. Emetj:"enc)'le"{'Cs were built to
<br />proteet the traHer park and campground at
<br />the mouth of Fish Creek. the upper part of
<br />Dream Island. and the Ri,'er Rood. About 50
<br />hom"" along Butcherknife Creek were sur.
<br />rounded by noodwaterand about 300 homes
<br />were threatened. A stat.c of emerli"'ncy was
<br />declaro:don the 26th. now in the river was
<br />abou\ 6.000 cubic feet per second or about
<br />500 cubic feet perseeond ahove flood sta>::e.
<br />There was some structural damage to the
<br />foundlttions,floors,andwaJ)~o!the50homcs
<br />inundated. but the principal flood losses com.
<br />priseddam~tofurnaces.waterheaters.
<br />and other basement appliances such as
<br />freezers. washers. and dr~'ers. Other flood
<br />looses included the eostsof..mergcney flood
<br />fighting and the cost Qf cleaning rubble
<br />coveredstt1.'ets, lawns, andfi..lds. A sericsof
<br />photographs' of But.cherllnife Creek Clooding
<br />in April 1974 follows:
<br />
<br />
<br />Figure I
<br />Flooding a!ong 6th Street, April 19H.
<br />
<br />'f"ro",h"" ~U'l<>y or tho S"'~",bo", r,lo" IP~~tosl'Rrh. by I".., H,,,,,.._I
<br />
<br />5
<br />
|