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<br />PAST FLOOOS
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<br />~eriod5 ~f lat~ "pr~~q a~d e~rly fall w~en pclar air intrusion~ ~~e
<br />rr.ost intendve.
<br />Available records indicate that 5nowr,~1~ ha~ ~e:do~ co~-
<br />tributoo to flood occurrer,ces exc"p~ ...her. aUg:l\e"tcf ,dt.h h.e~...y r.ainfall.
<br />T;,e pl'.ysici:\l fe..t'~res of n.e watershed are all cor,<'!ucive to a rapid
<br />concentration of ru~-off res~lting in flash floods characterL~ed by
<br />h.iq~ peak flow~, moderate volurne~ and short durations.
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<br />Sources Of Data and Records
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<br />Sig~ificant stream s~aqe a~d discharge records indicating
<br />flood potential are not ~vailable for fountain Creek. ~ str~am
<br />gaging station established ir. April 1958 no..' O!?<,r3tes 0.5 miles east
<br />of a bridge on tJ.S. Highway 24 near the ....est city limits of Colorado
<br />Springs. Flo...records from this station are inadequate to define
<br />hydrologic conditions for the study reaches considered in this report.
<br />Historical documents, newspaper files, publications of
<br />the U.S. Geological Survey and the Colorado Water Records were
<br />sources of information regarding past floods. rhe flood pxofiles
<br />and flooded area maps were developed from this material, along with
<br />the results of studies, field investigations and office computations.
<br />
<br />Sum:nary of I!is~oric"l floods
<br />Historical so~rces disclose that several flooas, of vdrious
<br />~agnitudes, have inundated and inflicted da~age in some portion o~
<br />the study area sinc(! 1864. I!i~torical records of f100d~ arc primarily
<br />infor~ative on flooding effects and specific infor~ation on the
<br />intensity,duration,andmagn.it"deoftr.estormsandfloodsi"generally
<br />lacking. Oir"ctflocd losses in 1OheManitou Spring'; and '""stColorado
<br />Springs ~rea hav~ consist~d principally of da~age to cellars, lawns.
<br />grounds of url'an, p~blic, ~r~ residential propertie~, and 100 munici-
<br />pally o~~ed proF~rty ~uch as streets. ~tor~ ~ewer~, water and gdS
<br />liI'e~. Indirect lo~~"s hclude s"ch :t""s ao; "'J,",Jr. ~Lffcring b"cauGc
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<br />Flood Season and Characteristics
<br />
<br />The majority of the flood prodllcing sto=~ over the
<br />Fountain Cr"ek watershed OCCllr from May through Augus'!:. It is dur-
<br />ing this seasOn that the tBmperature con'!:rast b~t"'een ~urface air
<br />and the upper air is the greatest. rhls maximum contu.st ir. h.mper-
<br />atun, causes the heaviestprecipit"tion. Duri"gthisperiod,masses
<br />of "'arm, ""ist air, generally fre)], ti>c' Gulf af ~exico, and cold
<br />co<np.lrativ.ely dry air from tbe pol"" ""'1io"" c"",bin" O'Fer coouIlh.in
<br />'regions cau~ing inc"eased frontal stanns <IrA su=er thunilerstorrr,
<br />activity. The lattcr, ~ost active during July and August, is often
<br />distinguished by more intense rainfall at randomloClI'!:ior.s. Thi,;
<br />intensc ""inh.l1, kno..." .15 "cloudb"r"ts" OCcur" only '.'hct:c tbc~c '5
<br />" marked range i~ temperature wlthin a relatively small area anJ
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<br />of injury and expo~urc; interruptions of traffic a~d Puzines",: and
<br />the effect of "dvcr""e j;lublici-::y 0:1 thc ~"uri"t trad~.
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<br />:lcod Dcscri~tions
<br />Following are dcscriptio~s of kno..n large floods that
<br />hav" occurred ir. ~an!.'!:o\J S!Jrtnos d"d "'''st Colorado Sprinqs, incl~ding
<br />cxcerpts frOi'\ locally F.lbli,hed ,"ws ,'''C''\ln<::~.
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<br />'\"'-,ally las'!:i~.g a ...ery ~hor<:: ti."I'.c.
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<br />'!'hi~ ."""diUo" exist" """r "....-
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<br />Julyfl,18.!!3.
<br />Thi' followir.gare excerp'!:s from :he Col.orado Springs
<br />
<br />yon heads ..'he~" warm. moist~~e-laden air drif<::s ll"w,,~d thr()'~<Jh t~"
<br />c""y,ms tco higher altitcudes where the reduction ill temp"ratur"
<br />Ca~ses rdpid co~densatcion reSlllting i~ torrential r~infall ~nd
<br />J~I'I'I,,,,ing flo<xls. The severest storms often "ccur i" the trilnsi tional
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<br />"'eekly G"~,,tte;
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<br />Or." 0' th" most cc.tr1.\~ti...e cl,,'~(ibllr~ts or ..',~t.er-
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<br />5~)utS that has ~v~r t~k~n ?l~"~ i~ thi~ locali~y, if ~O~
<br />in tn,> ~~a~~. occ~rte" ~~ ~~dnitou yc,;t"nl,,'i "n.'n\oor. a"<o>,"~
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