FLOOD10136

• Designation Number: 114
• County: Chaffee
• Community: Poncha Springs
• Stream Name: South Arkansas River/Poncha Creek
• Basin: Arkansas
• Title: FIR - South Arkansas River/Poncha Creek, Poncha Springs, CO
• Date: 3/1/1978
• Designation Date: 11/1/1978
• Prepared By: WRC, Inc.
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

I

I

From the "Mountain Mail"
Monday, July 1, 1957

I
11
I

Chaffee County Bai I ing Out From Worst Flood In History

I

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS LOSS TO BRIDGES,
RAILROADS

I

Angel of Shavano, dry your eyes.
The people of the Arkansas Valley
are taking a breather today hoping that
the worst of the high water which dama-
ged property, curtailed mail service and
stopped train service to this area is
over.
People who have lived in the county
70 years cannot recall when swollen
rivers and streams of this area have
ever been so destructive, but most are
speculating that the worst part is be-
hind although precautions are still be-
ing taken.
Buena Vista, the only town in the
area to suffer any extensive damage, is

I

I

I

I

I

beginning to relax
because the damage
as reported in the
Sunday.
A trip west to Buena Vista and east
to Cotopaxi Sunday reve~led that many
people, and almost every agency of gov-
ernment from city to state have been
active during the past few days protect-
ing property. Folks in Buena Vista,
clad in hip boots, were still cautiously
sandbagging spots where Cottonwood Creek
had jumped its banks and there was evid-
ence everywhere along Main Street that
city and citizens alike had worked thru
several nights attempting to hold water.

a little and complain
done was not as bad
metropolitan papers

-----------------------

I

I

Monday, July 1, 1957 (Mountain Mail Photo)

Caption reads:

EVERETT LAND INUNDATED Floodwaters
went into the barnyard at the George Ever-
ett ranch about five miles west of Salida,
Everett, a lifelong resident of the commu-
nity said this is the highest that he has
ever seen the Arkansas river.

I

I

I

I

I

-13-

I

I

Cloudburst storms over the South Arkansas River and Poncha Creek

drainage basins are known to have occurred causing peak flows in the

study reaches. Unfortunately, detailed information on such flood events

is lacking because they were not recorded.

I

I

Discussions with the local city and county officials produced a

list of local residents who have resided in the area for a long period

of time. A number of these residents were contacted by the Colorado

Water Conservation Board in writing on January 17, 1~78. As of the

publishing date of this report, no input was received from those resid-

ents contacted.

I

I

A few residents were personally contacted for input. Those comments

conveyed by Mr. Lawrence Bender are documented because of their histori-

cal significance. Mr. Bender has resided in Poncha Springs since 1943.

Some of the specific comments conveyed by Mr. Bender include:

I

I

I

- In the spring of 1957, both the South Arkansas River and Poncha
Creek reached flood stages higher than at any other time.

I

Both the South Arkansas River and Poncha Creek flooded in 1957 at
the same time. However, generally, Poncha Creek runs ahead of
the South Arkansas River by approximately ten days.

I

- In 1957, there was
tures stayed cold.
warm throughout the
producing the flood

a late, heavy, spring snowfall and the tempera-
The temperature suddenly turned warm and stayed
nights, thus causing the snow to melt rapidly
flows.

I

- During the 1957 flood, the U.S. Highway 285 bridge across the
South Arkansas River was in no danger at any time. Also, the
water stayed below the deck ot the Hot Springs Road bridge across
Poncha Creek.

I

I

- In 1957, the peak flood stage continued for approximately seven days
before receeding.

I

- The wooden bridge at Limit Street
has been washed out in the past.
incident could not be determined.

across the South Arkansas River
The specific date of such an

I

I

I

-14-

, ,
-----