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<br />,- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />SOME FLOODS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION. <br /> <br />123 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />about 6,000 second-feet, The difference between 17,000 second-feet <br />near Parker and 6,000 second-feet at Denver shows the effect of the <br />f1l1.ttening out of the flood crest as it progressed downstream, owing to <br />the channel and overflow storage a./l'orded it, If the storm of 1922 <br />had occurred nearer Denver, the resulting flood in Denver would <br />probably have almost equa.led that of 1912. <br /> <br />BUCXKORN CREEK NEAR LOVELAND, COLO. <br /> <br />From June 14 to 16, 1923, heavy rains occurred over an area that <br />extended from a point a few miles east of Greeley, Colo"to the <br />western edge of R. 70 W., in the foothill region.- <br />The only Weather Bureau records within this area are those at <br />Fort Collins, which show a precipitation of 2.07 inches; those at <br />Waterdale, which show 2,39 inches; and those at Greeley, which <br />show 2.63 inches during the entire period. The heaviest precipita- <br />tion was south of Fort Collins, near Loveland, in the foothill area, and <br />appeared to center over the lower part of the Buckhorn Creek bll8in. <br />This caused the highest flood known on Buckhorn Creek and several <br />of its tributaries. All bridges on the lower Buckhorn and on Big <br />Thompson Creek below the Buckhorn were washed out, two lives <br />were lost, thousands of acres of rich agricultural land was ruined, and <br />much livestock was drowned. <br />The drainage area of the lower Buckhorn Creek consists of three <br />narrow, troughlike valleys, which converge slightly toward the north- <br />west, Narrow ridges 400 to 500 feet high separate .these valleys. <br />The middle valley is drained by Buckhorn Creek, which flows south- <br />eastward. The other two valleys are drained by a number of small <br />tnl>utaries that have cut through the narrow ridges, forming side <br />canyons, and join the main stream at short interVals. These small <br />tributaries drain fan-shaped areas which converge at the outlet <br />canyons. The slopes are steep and rocky and support little vegeta.- <br />tion except some scrubby pines and a small amount of brush. <br />The United States Geological Survey made an investigation of the <br />flood within a week of its occurrence, determined the )'Tl."'mum dis- <br />charge at three points by means of slope l1leasurements from well- <br />defined high-water marks, measured the cross sections of flood areas, <br />. and interviewed residents to obtain all possible information on the <br />rainfall. <br />The storm came from the south and followed the courSe of Buckhorn <br />and Redstone creeks. In its progress northWard the storm was <br />augmented by clouds from the southeast. Observers at Loveland <br />stated that swiftly moving clouds passed over Loveland arid con- <br />tinued northwestward to the foothills, where they appeared to join <br />the main storm, which was traveling northward. The troughlike <br />valleys up which the clouds traveled converge at their north ends, <br />