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<br />In plac"s ':;"e~" :.ails,:;on"s hy i" bar-ks several fe",:: in
<br />depth.
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<br />CtJRRENTPLOODSlTUATION
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<br />Old timers say that no such .torm has occ~rred in
<br />this s"ctionof the state in years. !ti'ratherdiffi-
<br />culttoesti"",tetheamountofdamagcss\lstained,butit
<br />iscertainlymcre than our readers hillle any ide"...
<br />Intrinsic value of property destroyed may not be so much
<br />b~t it must be remembered that many of the...features
<br />cannot be well sP'llCed at a resort so poP\ll"r as Manitou...
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<br />Developments in the Flood Plains
<br />Plate 2 is an index map for Plates 3 through B which
<br />show the study area li~its and flood plains considered in this report.
<br />The flood plains arc narrOW with e~tensive developments of homes,
<br />retil.il b,,"ine~$cs, ind\lstries, ,,",abile ho"'" parks, and tourist at'.Or",,-
<br />tions and faCilities. ~ny of these urb~n improvements encroach on
<br />thestrea:ns. In t""",ai,^, business district of Manitou springs, a wide
<br />variety of businesses have been established on the banks of the str~ams
<br />and, in many instanee6, ov"r the streams. ~anitou Sp~ings' city hall
<br />and fi~~ station are located on Fountain Creek's right bank at the
<br />corner of Manitou Avenue and El Paso Bouleva~d. Other major facilities
<br />located in the Fountain Creek flood plain are the Red Rock Shopping
<br />Center and the EI Paso County Community College.
<br />Transportation facilities within the flood plains include
<br />portions of u.s. Highway 24 and 24 By-Pass (~idland Expressway), along
<br />with num~rous city streets.
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<br />MaYll,l947
<br />Accoraing to the Colorado Springs Ga~~tte-Telegram:
<br />"Cloudburst in Ute Pass, ~raldo Canyon, and williams Canyon early
<br />Saturday night sent a torrent of water through Manitou Springs...
<br />doing.. large amount of damage to streets and bridges." A wave of
<br />water descenaed on the town from Ute Pass, it ca~ried away a
<br />number of ~ll wooden bridges. The stream overflowed the banks in
<br />"lacss and water w'~ ~~_ ~,,__,_~ ~n~~ ~ ~ "..
<br />r _ ~~u .~""+U. ~~_~ "ig" in ..~n~tou AVenue. At
<br />a number of places it spread over the sidewal~s and flowed into
<br />basements of business establ' ",._"--~.,, ..
<br />~". "'~..~ ...co~.age camps on low
<br />groun~ in east Xanito~ Springs ~nd west Colorado Springs were
<br />flooded...the ~ll bridges washed out in Manitou Sp~ings were
<br />carriea downstream.. . the" "ilen un be~ br'.,
<br />. r r .ore a ~"ge.. .the da".. of
<br />bridges broke away and passing under the bridge, tearing some large
<br />trees as they did... GreenwiCh Village and Cottonwood Camps were
<br />covered with fram six inches to two feet of water...bridges on 210t
<br />~nd 30th Streets washed out...8th Street bridge in prec"rio~s cOn~
<br />dition...many moto~ist$ evacuated...uas mains broke...water and
<br />electrical services interrupted...estimated damages in exc"s_" of
<br />$100,000 for streets, b~idqes, and roads. Manitou Springs' fire
<br />chief...s~id it was th$ wo~st flood he haa witnessed in 21 years.
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<br />Ob~t:ructions to floodflows
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<br />Obstructions, r.atural and man-marle, within the floodway6,
<br />i~r~R fl~flow~, ~r,,~tin~ ~CKw~ter and increased heiQh"'$. Debris
<br />washing downstream during floods often collect against bridges or
<br />within ~estricted flow areas, ~educing the waterway openings and
<br />impeding the floodflow. This creates a damming effect and, dep"nd~
<br />ing on the degree of clogging, causes g~eater backwater aepths wit~
<br />increased ove~bank flooding. Water pressure on embankments and
<br />bridges can result in stress damage or total destruction of the
<br />structure involved. A pronounced increase 1n r!ow ve!ocit1es usually
<br />occurs downstream from obstructions, thus increasing the flood's
<br />damage potential.
<br />Natural obstructions to floodflow occur througho~t the
<br />flood plains ~he~e trees, brush, and other vegetation encroach
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