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<br /> <br />INTRODUCfION <br /> <br />The Colorado Flood Event of 1995 began as a drought. Until the middle of <br />April it appeared that the state would experience less than average <br />snowfall and that preparations would be needed for drier than average <br />conditions. About two weeks later things had changed dramatically. By <br />the middle of May, the State's Flood Task Force had held its second weekly <br />meeting with Denver television and newspaper media in attendance. By <br />the end of May, heavy rains had caused <br />flooding and storm drainage problems in <br />several communities in the Front Range and <br />Eastern Colorado. Shortly after the middle of <br />June, the first significant snowmelt peak flows <br />were experienced in many mountain and <br />foothills communities, as well as plains <br />communities along the South Platte and <br />Arkansas Rivers and some of their tributaries. <br />In the middle of July, the second significant <br />snowmelt peak flows were experienced on a <br />few mountain and foothills streams. <br /> <br /> <br />FLOOD THREAT RECOGNITION <br /> <br />As the snowpack grew in the Cottonwood Creek basin, representatives <br />from the Colorado Water Conservation Board contacted Buena Vista Town <br />officials to discuss flood threat potential. It was determined that a <br />significant flood threat did exist based on NRCS snowpack data as well as <br />local observations. Consequently, Buena Vista began receiving the CWCB <br />bulletin "Weekly Flood Outlook". <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The bulletin provided a weekly assessment of flood threat potential. Use <br />of the report allowed town officials to determine at what level of snowpack <br />and streamflow response activities would be undertaken. Daily field <br />observations by town personnel augmented the bulletin information to <br />provide real time information for the decision-making process. <br /> <br />