FLOOD08946

• County: Eagle
• Community: Vail
• Stream Name: Gore Creek
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Title: Gore Creek Floodplain Information
• Date: 6/1/1975
• Prepared For: Vail
• Prepared By: HYDRO-TRIAD, LTD.
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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typical thunderstorm in and around the Gore Creek Valley is limited
to approximately ten squaremiles.1 Using this data, the 10 and 100

Snowfall Prec1pitation and Snowpack
The Soil Conservation Service has kept snowpack and water content
records on Shrine Pass since 1942 and on Vail Pass since 1952. Table

year thunderstorm rainfall values ~re:

15 min.
30 min.
45 min.
60 min.
24 hrs.

10 YEAR
THUNDERSTORM
(cum. ins.)
.42
.62
.76
.87
1.07

10DYEAR
THUNDERSTORM
(cum. ins.)
.71
1.07
1.32
1.50
1.85

II!.1 shows the April 1 and May 1 values recorded at these 10cat1ons .
The Shrine Pass station, at 10,500 feet, has an average May 1 snowpack
of 55 incheswith19.5 inches of water content. TheaverageApri11
snowpack at the Vail Pass station is 55 inches of snow with 17.9

TIME FRO~
BEG. OF STORM

The infrequent general rainstorm, which occurs primarily in
September and lasts several ho~rs to over 48 hours in some ~ases,
has also been developed from Dillon rainfall records. This general

inches of water. The records indicate a maximum snowpack depth occurs
at the Vail Pass station somewhat earlier in the year than at the
Shrine Pass station. The reasons for this are many and include
elevation, siting and aspect.
The Soil Conservation Service has made a statistical analysis
us1ng data through 1971.18 The resultant 100 year probable return
per10d snowpacks and water contents are as follows:

storm may cover a 1.000 square ml1e or larger area. The one-percent
probability, 24~hour rainfall from a general storm is 1.89 inches
and the corresponding 48-hour value is 2.17 inches. Oncea9ain,the
cool autumn temperatures will cause much of this precipitat-on to fall

Station Snowpdck
(in.1
Shrine Pass 77
Vail Pass 90

Water Content
(in.)
29.0
36.2

dS snow or hai1 atthehighere1evations. Theadopteddistl'ibution
of the general type storm is as follows:

HOURS FROM 10 YEAR GENERAL
BEG. OF STORM STORM PRECIPITATION
(cum. ins.)

100 YEAR GENERAL
STORM PRECIPITAT:ON
(cum. ins.)

1 .21
2 .28
3 .33
4 .37
5 .40
6 .44
8 .51
10 .59
12 .67
24 .9l
48 1.05

.44
.58
.68
.76
.83
.90
1.06
1.22
1.38
1.89
2.17

A revised analysis using data through 1975 would show moderate
differences because of the longer recording period.
In June 1952, the highest stream discharges on record were at the

Upper Gore, Lower Gore and 81ack Gore Creek stations; the snowpack ~t

Shrine Pass was 22.0 inches on May 1 and 23.7 inches at Vail Pass.

Maximum recorded snowpacks at Shrine Pass and Va11 Pass are 26.7 inches

on April 1. 1965and27.9inchesonMayl,1970,respective1y.