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~r.., ~ A~~"~ \...~ \~ floods, these obstructions impede flood flows and cause backwater conditions that may increase flood heights upstream of the obstruction. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has no authorized flood control structures in the study area. However, a Corps of Engineers project of stream channel- i zat i on and improvement has been authori zed and funded for the reach up- stream of Oxford Avenue. It is not expected that this project will have any effect on flood flows in the study area. HISTORY OF FLOODING Major floods on the South Platte River and its tributaries have been ob- served and recorded since 1844. "" ~ERCE CITY / ~~!1 The most significant floods of recent times on the South Pl atte River oc- curred in 1921, 1933, 1942, 1949, 1957, 1965, and 1973. High peak flow floods are most often associated with thunderstorms and sustained rains. Long duration flooding is most often associated with snow melt. Some signi- ficant past floods are described below. DENVER r~~~h~p ~ ('>l.r I . ~"~J- ~"'d.(.on GUlch" . ~.~ ~.., \. SHERIDAN ENGLEWOOD June 1921 Flood The flood of June 1921 was caused by heavy rai ns occurri ng over the ent i re basin. Although the peak discharge at Denver was a moderate 8,790 cfs, the flood volume was approximately 200,000 acre-feet. Overbank flooding oc- curred from Waterton to Brighton with flood widths of from 1/2 to 1 1/2 miles in the reach above Denver. S .or Creek "" Sin 't:",~ '" ". r.l/. L1TTLE;~~~ ~" ; ~ ,\r. .~61.f 6'.f Doa .'" ..CIOrlr ~oro '~.~ ",6'''' '\ ~ /J '.C~ " .d_ ~ ..G-/" ........... '," "'Z '\ ----... --." , ~.., Creek '-- ..' Dulch September 1933 Flood The flood of September 1933 originated from intense rains on Plum Creek and on Big and Little Dry Creeks. The flood at Denver was a flash flood with a peak discharge of 22,000 cfs and a volume of 36,000 acre-feet. Chotfield Reservoir May 1942 Flood The May 1942 flood, which had a peak discharge of 9,720 cfs at Littleton and 10,200 cfs at Denver, caused extensive rural damages above and below the channel ized reach through the City. The sustained high flows experienced 8000 0 1lI......J Scale in Feet 24000 I -4- \ FIG URE MAJOR RIVER 2 SOUTH PLATTE TRIBUTARIES WRIGHT WATER ENGINEERS, INC. 2490 W. 26TH AVE.-SUITE 55A DENVER. COLORADO 80211