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<br />
<br />expected during the H'mmer and fall.
<br />However. rapid melting of mountain ~now_
<br />packs in spring and early summer is the
<br />majorcauseoffloodinginthestudyareaaklng
<br />the Colorado and Gtlnnison Rivers.l Floodino:-
<br />is most severe when snowmelt is augmented
<br />by rain.
<br />Intense rainfall from cloudburst storms'
<br />
<br />Date
<br />
<br />October 18.19D8
<br />August 24. 1921
<br />September 22. 1941
<br />
<br />Analy~is of available data indicates that the
<br />l00-year flood On the Colorado and Gunnison
<br />Rivcr~ would result from snowmelt runoff.
<br />and that the 5DO-year rlood would be caused
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<br />FLOOD HISTORY
<br />Sh-eams in the study area, espeeially the
<br />Color"do Hiv.,r, have a long h,swry 01
<br />flooding. but definitive data On floods are
<br />una,'ailahle, The flooding of June-July 188.1.
<br />the earliest cf ~cord ill the study area. i~
<br />IIcnerally con.idered the mostsel"crc kno\vn
<br />in Grand Junction, It resulted from rapid
<br />melting ofa deep snowpack and coneurrent
<br />
<br />creatc:; the highe$t f100dflows on the
<br />tributaries originating in the Book CHff" are".
<br />While there is little definitive information
<br />a\'ailableon cloudburst f100dingonthes<'
<br />tributaries. precipitation stations in (h~
<br />Grand Junetion area have recorded (he
<br />following l-day rainfall amountg (attLLal
<br />storm durations unknown):
<br />
<br />Amounl
<br />(Inches)
<br />2.50
<br />1,59
<br />1.87
<br />
<br />b;-snowmelt augmented by rain, The 100-snd
<br />5OD-rear floods On the tributary streams
<br />would result from cloudburst storm..
<br />
<br />hea\'y rain.. Olh.-r floods On the Colorado
<br />lti\w Were reeorded in 1917,1920,1921. 1935,
<br />1952. and 1957. On the Gunnison River.
<br />flooding took place in 1920.1921, and 1957,
<br />Tile fioodt1ow of "-la;,' Ino was the largest
<br />recorded on the Gunnison River. Newspaper
<br />accounts'describe the 1957 t100d llS follows:
<br />
<br />'Norm.liy.thoC<:>to,...lo.ndGuMi"," R;"",.doooto'l><tioo,o<o"''',,,,nt'"owmo!ll'Unorfp<ak,,.
<br />'S;m"ItM","",noo<Jin~o".lIth'lril"",,;,...p"'b.blywo"!ci"oto<r"tduo'O'''''''''''''u,~.i<<te",ol..".udl",,''
<br />.torm..
<br />'Simulat.d from r"i~rulilrn<op"",
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<br />From Grand Junction Daily Sentinel:
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<br />Wedne>day, June 5. 1957
<br />
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<br />Rivers Rising;
<br />May Peak Over
<br />This Weekend
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<br />W..te'o CoIo<ado,ive..oon'inv.d lori..
<br />tnl. mo'ning Dvt tno", wao & po..;1>ilit~ tn.~
<br />wouldt.ach'thel,r>o'" du,'ng 'no <:<omlng
<br />w<<>k.nd.
<br />T~ryboh;nd'n;.p'ed;etionl.'halwiln
<br />'emp...M..... nlg" o. tnoy.", tIll,w<ok,
<br />m.,;mum,eteol.nowmOltwovldbore.oned
<br />GuMlo<>n Riv.,oorm.lly pe.k, In M.y,
<br />C<lIO,adO in Jun".1f bot~ '~ould bone.'etes,al
<br />tile ..me tim.. Ilo<>dln~ "",vld gr"at'~ .'Oe.d
<br />tMI in 1952
<br />C<llorodoRiv.'atRlvo,.,idePark..below
<br />oonllue"".. wllh G~nnl.on. I. .boIJ'" h'gh a.
<br />tne 1952 pe.~, bullhe 0Mp In In. Olk. Road
<br />.r.....,oIConnt'OlievtL.ak....nol..
<br />.,t.....lveulo'952,AI_daylolnlghwote"
<br />nowov...,..."pmMt:>Iyl1OO"".....ep'otn.'ow
<br />pI.c..,
<br />ColorodoRlve,maygoov.,tn.I..,,,,,.long
<br />tnewe""deo!tIlerive'PfOleol'''9ln''low'.M'
<br />o...olC<ln....c'lo~tL.~"" anditmighl"".rllow
<br />.1009 'n. 'OUIMrn .dg"olth.eity,"p.oi~lIy
<br />......R;v."id.p.'k.ndup."..m.The ""'"
<br />mignl 01'0 go nigne' In'o.yardo of nome. elong
<br />R<>sev'leRoad'nonl,d'dlnl9S2.R,o.oI1S
<br />'no~..w""ld pu,w,..,lnlo.oneoo'M,olthe
<br />o'tyvard,lnCrowro'd'.Add,t;on,
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<br />Cloudburst storms over tributary
<br />drainages arc known to have occurred and
<br />undoubtedly caused flooding many times On
<br />tributary streams. However, detailed infor-
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<br />Frida.,v, June 7. 1957
<br />
<br />Lillie Damage Done
<br />So Far By Rivers;
<br />Some Seepage
<br />
<br />FIOQdoonMion.in 'n..Gr.ndJvrlCtion
<br />.r...conliouetok..pei'y.nd<:<ovntywO'kmon
<br />onlhaIObbut$Oto'tneGunn'oon.MColo",do
<br />R,ve<l".ve done 1'1'1.. damage.
<br />C;'I"uoI<"'''dumplng,ookanddi't.'ong
<br />to.ln.1 .0Ithe'oo~w.lI.tR,vo~d.P",k,.nd
<br />th.llowolw.iertn.reh.'b<>endlve't.dbaek
<br />iotOlnotl"',lVate,w,lI""ve'orl,ollnOlnOfloot
<br />'0010'. homo. On tno.,o. ...MdM9....ed,
<br />a,ioov9nrooslba..monts,nC,ewlo'dAddilion
<br />~.v.bo""_pedlull,
<br />Ae'o.. to. ,I'otand north 01 tho Gt.nd
<br />Avo.b'id~,eovo'ye'ow'",o'g.lnotwOl'kon
<br />tM ~L.e belw..on lha ri~r .nd Conoecl,evl
<br />L.,....'..,W.,..'i..vw.~inglwGI.olb;\low
<br />t"".,;~.top, ..bovtln.amounltnoltMcovnty
<br />,,,,.., tha ~.k.
<br />AOOlhe'O",wladumpingl.rgo..,c1<>inal
<br />"o."",n.pp,oaGh '01'>0 Gunn,$Otl Aov.,
<br />btidgOwhe,..la'gowJ>;flpoolw..w..hloQ
<br />aw.y tile wok, A ,i,--ino~ ,I.. 10 tho ,i,e'wOlJ'd
<br />tloodltl.,o.d;n.pot"bultn.AECcompoond
<br />I. complo'.lyw.llod rn now ond oodillIO"'ty I.
<br />",peel.dlne,o
<br />AbO\JIO",iL.WUltlollnOCOn1f'Ound..111\e
<br />Chario.HvH...'pl'OO,w""'<X>ntlnvedlOlIow
<br />'MoughthaO,enordond;,ol.,.thehou,.ond
<br />.lIed,onanlS:''''',
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<br />mation On flood events is not available due
<br />mainly to thc rurai nature of the r~gion "nd
<br />the laet that t100ding ollarm and orchard
<br />la"d was seldom made a mattrr of ,",-'COrd.
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