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<br />scrub/shrub '..-etl""ds IlavC developed tha~ provide '...HdlHe c<>ver '.hlen is
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<br />(or the l()U-ye"r rreqll"'''CY fie"". Ther~ "re "0 r~L'(H~"~ dOCUflC'[lt'l.cion of
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<br />especially valuable foe deer ~lnter cov~r.
<br />
<br />da.rna~e6 o('_(;\lrrl"1j fer"" eUher event. ~vld"" ~ I.y the ld r3e<t fl""d "f record
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<br />occurred on July l, 1957; ho\V~"er, there "'e,~ [\Q ,Hscharge """'Sllrements on
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<br />fisher"",,, utlU..c the Hrca.'tl h"<Ivtly w fish fo~ bru"" , brook and <"[,,bow
<br />tH)ut. Bro"'l trout reproducu sllccessfLJUy tn ,he strea.lI ",hleh 1s ,",Hed as
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<br />ell.,l" Creek for that date. A ~carch thr"..gh ""'IsP"IX'C ~CC~''''ts reve;<l..d
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<br />t1 t ~ 1" \n r~"rect to ,~ history of f loodirlg with the ",~c_"pt; [on or the J 95 I
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<br />having average 'lv.llity by Ul" Color,~d" Division <if ''''ildltfe. W~t"'r fro"
<br />Chn.lk Creek is 31so utilized at the Divhlon's Chalk Creek Fish H...t~hery.
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<br />e..'mt which ~aused so"", prohl""", e~ the neighb"rl"g cO"'l}unitles ~f 8uen~
<br />
<br />Vi3ta and Salid....
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<br />At the pre"ant teme, the flood plain area Is ~sed by t~rkey, deer, elk and
<br />bigl10rnsheep i" the winter, It 13 valuahle for "ildlife ml3ratiorlarld, lrl
<br />its pre3ent vegeta~ed sta~e, provide. " protected travel corridor for
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<br />Because of the lack of documented fload hIstory, ...,r,onallntervle"3were
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<br />",ade I<ith re3idents IYho had lived in the Ch,~lk Creek are., aver the I,ast
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<br />s<,veral year~. A repre~cntattve from Chaffee County ~ondueted the lnter-
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<br />",Udltfe from higher elevat1on3 to the Arkan~as River.
<br />
<br />v;.ew~. R('~\Ilts of the interviews indicate a history of "tnor dalllages on "
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<br />FLOOD A.'iD DEBIUS O'LO[.j (MUnnOW) fiISTOR\'
<br />
<br />few occ.Hions. D\lringl94l or 194B, thre" cabins and " LodBe had SOme
<br />flooding proble",," .1nd in 1957 tlo'O cabl"" had 5" - 6" of flooJ ,""Her on the
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<br />flo<)dlng in the Chalk Creek study area c"n result fro", snowmelt nu,off,
<br />general rains. and C10lldhllr"t 8torlll~. Th,. run",f from 5"o""",lt oce","
<br />" '" ,. ,'" '.,'" Th'u'~ the t i"", of .v~,,,r
<br />during the perloy 'rom ~a e nay u ea ~, ~. .,' ~,
<br />tllat (;h<llkCree:C is vulnerable to out of channel flo"s, espec.taliy 1f th ere
<br />
<br />first floor. In;.ention ';truct~re~ ""w Jd,nag"d ",,<I tl,,, p'-'st~r" laad
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<br />b,'t"cen U. S. I!lgh..ay 2BS and the fLsh hatchery (r""ch S-StuJ:r Arca Ma~) was
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<br />,,,,der "';Lter. Th" I<iSI flood w~~ ca"s~d hy ., 1"(,,, heavy. ~prlng snowfall.
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<br />A fast "'arm.iJ\~ t;relld foll<>Io'~d .~,.v~r"l d"y~ "f N,lo W<>1t~~~ ~"""i~.J the ",,"0'.'
<br />
<br />to ,,,,,it rapidly, producing high flow. tn th~ Ar:':.~o..1. Rl ""r "rld side
<br />
<br />!lre ""rmer than LIS","! te"'perstutes and a heavy "noWlllett h .1\1grncntcd with
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<br />raln. R\ln"H fr",,, snowmelt Ls characterized by mode("te peak Halo'S, long
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<br />trib,'t~rie';. The flood stage la~ted abo~t "~wn day" he fore receditlll'
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<br />,11l(aUon, ,'0,1 I.H,,<' volUI:le3 of ,",dt~r. 'to"t uf the IInllnlll rainf3ll occurs
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<br />llehris flo"s (llIudflows) '-Ire th" most ~nt.lble prohlelll; n,'meIy, h',cao~" of tl1O.
<br />
<br />d"rine the month" of July throllgh(}o;:tobet. Th<!1ntensityof rainfall from
<br />clo\ldb\1r"t storms is ~.~"l1y high "nd the rU(loff is characterized by hLgh
<br />
<br />disruut!'l[l to hl~h,,~y t~.,fff~. M',st "f t1", :I'In"..l r.11"f".'cl ~" r"cdv~j
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<br />p".,k flow., of Hhort d'-'riltionwith r"l..t\vely Sl,,,lt volu"c," of ""Cer .
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<br />d"rin~ the '!>:,nths of .I'-'ly thNu;:h October dnd (I,l" i~ the tlL"'" <>f t!l" year
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<br />t!HC mudfl"I<~ "8o~l1y "~cur. !lllring th~ r,'iny ';c"1-<u1\ th~re :',.y be ,,~ "''''y
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<br />Slrca",flO'~ r~~"rda all"" ch.'t m.'!Xll1llm di'olu"-ge" on t:I,."l~ Creek (j~~llrr"d on
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<br />.,~ 2 or 3 ""Mio",s; h"w~v"r, th",~ [,-<vell't h.",n ""y prohlems In rlw p..,~t ~
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<br />.I'~L"- 10, 1952 .l"d Jl111<l 11, 1973 .-i.th flu'." "f 1,G5ll ~f" ,,,,,I 1,26:) d"
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<br />y<'_H'. 'll,torteally, the ,"r"ht~m.< i"c.~rr"d h,we \""'" eh.' hlocbge eo Sta[('
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<br />r"~p,'o.t1v(dy. Th.. I.U,:) d, ap:)r,,~imate" the co,"p"t~d 1,220 d" dhd"lrge
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<br />11;'';,1".,/ b2. CU1\"lJuq~L" "',"k ~y Ilillll""y mah(€1\..n"" "r~"s is c"qoired to
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