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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The U.S. Geological Su~vey, in a 1939 field investigation of the <br />31 May 1894 flood, estimated a peak discha~ge of 9,800 cubic <br />feet pe~ second fo~ this event, which was t~eated as a high <br />outlie~. Since Button~ock Dam has cont~olling effect on peak <br />discha~ges at the Lyons gauge, only the period of ~ecord <br />p~eceding its full time ope~ation was used in the discharge <br />probability analysis. Button~ock Reservoir was in the process <br />of filling du~ing the 7 May 1969 flood and an estimate of the <br />uncontrolled peak was made for use in the frequency analysis. <br />The 2,900 cubic feet per second peak discharge recorded at the <br />gauge was adjusted to 6,000 cubic feet per second by using unit <br />hydrograph ratios. <br /> <br />The gauge at the mouth nea~ Platteville has fifty-th~ee yea~s of <br />reco~d. The ~ecords for 1905, 1906, and 1927 through 1977 were <br />used in the f~equency analysis. The 1969 event was adjusted <br />f~om 10,300 cubic feet per second to 13,400 cubic feet per <br />second in order to reflect an uncontrolled condition. Peak <br />discha~ges since 1969 appear to have been generated from the <br />lower portion of the basin and did not require adjustment to <br />reflect effects from Buttonrock Reservoir. the estimated 1894 <br />peak discha~ge of 15,500 cubic feet per second was treated as an <br />histo~ic event. <br /> <br />Rainfall values fo~ the 10-, 50-, and 100-year 6-hour events <br />were obtained from the "Precipitation-Frequency Atlas of the <br />Western United States, Atlas 2, Volume III, Colorado", published <br />by the National Oceanic and Atmosphe~ic Administration (NOAA) in <br />1973. In each case, the 5-yea~ and 500-year value was estimated <br />by ext~apolating the selected Atlas values on semi-logarithmic <br />paper. Adjustments for depth-area were based on the depth-area <br />relationship presented on the NOAA publication. Adjustments for <br />length of record were made on logarithmic probability paper <br />using Beard's table of expected probability adjustments for <br />various lengths of record. The spatial variation of the <br />~ainfall potential shown in the Atlas for the St. Vrain Creek <br />basin was simulated by SWMM through the introduction of several <br />hyetog~aphs. The time va~iation of the 6-hour rainfall for each <br />hyetog~aph was based on a study of hourly precipitation data <br />reco~ded during major sto~ms on the South Platte Rive~ basin. <br />The rainfall dist~ibution is given in Table 3 below. <br /> <br />Detention storage values of 0.15 inch mountains and 0.10 inch <br />plains were selected by trial and error. Mountain infilt~ation <br />rates we~e set at a uniform ~ate of 1 inch per hour. In order <br />to calib~ate the St. V~ain model to the Platteville gauge, it is <br />necessary to use a plains area infiltration'rate of 0.5 inches <br />per hour. The f~equency analysis of the gauged data at Lyons <br />was used in the calib~ation of the SWMM model of North and South <br />St. V~ain Creeks fo~ conditions in the basin prior to the <br />const~uction of Button~ock Dam. An average annual June base <br />flow of 500 cubic feet per second was added to obtain the <br />modeled frequency curves at the Lyons gauge. The average annual <br />June base flow of 600 cubic feet per second was added to obtain <br />the modeled discharges at the mouth. <br /> <br />5 <br />