FLOOD09332

• County: Boulder
• Community: Boulder County
• Stream Name: North St. Vrain, St. Vrain Creeks
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Floodplain Information Report
• Date: 12/1/1987
• Prepared For: Boulder
• Prepared By: UDFCD
• Contract/PO #: &&
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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35

1949 FLOOD

Excerpts from the Longmont Times-Call
Monday, June 6, 1949

Rescued

as

81. Vrain goes Rampage Here

ALL BRIDGES BETWEEN LONGMONT AND LYONS MADE IMPASSABLE BY WEEK-END
FLOODS HOMES, HIGHWAYS AND FIELDS INUNDATED - RIVER CLIMBS TO
6,700 SECOND FEET WATER LINE DAY~GED AND TRAINS DELAYED.

A spring flood, which caused the
St. Vrain River to burst its banks,
made all bridges between here and
Lyons useless, delayed trains, in-
undated highways, fields and houses
and necessitated the evacuation of
35 men women and children, struck
here with force late Saturday night
and early Sunday. The river had
reached flood stage again Monday
afternoon.

As a result of weekend heavy rain
in this district and in the moun-
tains, the St. Vrain went on rising
slowly. At 11 p.m. Saturday night
the local chapter of the American
Red Cross removed several families
from their homes southwest of town
near the Western Solvents Plant
when water surrounded them.

No. 30, the southbound C.& S. was
several hours late Sunday and
arrived here at 8 a.m., ...It was
held until 1 p.m. while a stretch
of track near the Golden West mill,
which had been undermined by the
water was re-inforced. Two carloads
of limestone were dumped along the
track where the water was waist-
deep.

Water also flooded over Highway
87(Longmont-Denver road) just south
of the First Avenue tracks, inunda-
ting several stores and filling-
stations.

A total of almost three inches of
rain fell here during the storm,
according to records at the experi-

Longmont's only way
the airport is south
across the St. Vrain
is intact, then west
Road and north to the

of travel to
of Longmont
bridge which
on the Nelson
ai rport.

power plant was out completely, and
probably will have to be rebuilt in
its entirety.

The Burlington railroad track to
Lyons was rendered useless when the
St. Vrain spilled over its banks
and washed away the railroad bed in
the section east of Lyons.

Supply of water to the section
south and east of Longmont was out
early Sunday when high waters of
the St. Vrain twisted the supply
line where it crOSseS the river a
mile south of the city.

mental station of the sugar compan~
During the high point Saturday
night, the St. Vrain was flowing
some 6,700 second feet of water,
Commissioner Carl Maier reported.
Flood stage is from 2,000 to 2,500
feet when the river starts leaving
its banks. In summer flash floods,
previously, as high as 10,000 sec-
ond feet had been measured.

The "Old Iron Bridge," east of
Lyons and just below the Longmont
filtration plant at the Ruski place
finally succumed to flood water.
This bridge had withstood many
floods over the years, but always
remained firm until Sunday morning
when it gave way in the middle.

Left Hand Creek, where waters
were rushing uncontrolled,had taken
out all irrigation headgates along
the stream bed and water was run-
ning rampant over pasture and farm-
land southwest of Longmont and west
of Niwot this morning.

Up the North St. Vrain canyon
County road crews reported, the
bridge on the old road near the

bridge on
out,closing

Longmont Times-Call
Wednesday, June 8, 1949

An approach to the
South Sunset was washed
the road.

The south approach to the bridge
on the Hoover Road went out Sunday
morning and widened during the day.

One of the abutments of what is
known as the Neighbors bridge was
washed out and the south portion of
this bridge fell in.

The Crane Hollow bridge west of
Hygiene was strongly supported by
piling, but trees and other debris
drove against the piling until it
finally gave way and another bridge
was gone.

Longmont

Boy Recognized as Hero of Flood

Johnny Lopez, 11 year old Longmont boy, was recognized today by Long-
mont police officers as the hero of the week-end floods.

Johnny, who told officers "the water was getting high in the house, "
at 120 Pratt Street, donned his father's hip boots and carried three
youngsters on his back to safety shortly before midnight Saturday.

The home from which he rescued the children, Lillie and Jimmie Vigil
and Cresencio Arguello, was flooded with water during the first inunda-
tion of the southern part of Longmont Saturday. The boy's father is em-
ployed in the mountains. His mother was attending the midnight movies.

East of Longmont, the
the County Line at the
Mill was washed out.

bridge on
Old Dixon

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