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<br />ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
<br />The Sacramento Oi,trict, Corp~ of
<br />Engineer_, !(ratcfully a~knowl..a"r" th"
<br />"""i"tance and ",x)peration of the "Grand
<br />Junction Dail}' l'ientinel," the "Gra,,,l Valley
<br />(;azi'U('," the City ,,[Grand ,hlndi"n, the Me"'-
<br />
<br />INTRODUCTION
<br />
<br />PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF REPORT
<br />
<br />The purrx>>w of this n'p<>rt is to degcrihe
<br />and illustraw th.~ flood hazard in the vieinity
<br />of Grand Junction. ),IIesa COllnty, Colorado.
<br />The rqx,rt will aid inplanninf(theb€.tuseof
<br />lan,lssuhj,,~twinundationfroml00-and,jOO.
<br />
<br />LIMITS OF STUDY
<br />
<br />The r<'p<>rt covers the Colnrado Ri"erfrom
<br />22 Road upstream t.o:'l2l\oad and the lower
<br />reachr~ of th,' Gunnigon River, ],e<<eh Creek,
<br />Horizon Drivr Channel, and Lewis Waoh in
<br />>Inn around r.rand ,Tuncti"". Th~ Gunnison
<br />Ri,'er, J.,,,,,eh Creek, and Lewis Wash ar"
<br />riir,'d trihutarivs t<J the Colorado River,
<br />Horizon Drive Channel flows throu"h thr
<br />
<br />TABLE 1
<br />
<br />y"ar floods. 1I0wl'ver, it dC)(', not contain
<br />recommendations for sol"in!!: flood problems
<br />or plan' for us<-offloodplain aroa,becau'S€
<br />the~ activitil~sare the resp"n~ihiJiti()s 01 local
<br />f(ovornmcnt,.
<br />
<br />County Planninj( C"nlrnission and "ari"us
<br />othor)'lesa Countyap:eneie.. the Colorado
<br />v..'partmcnt 01 Highways. various Federal
<br />a"enoio<, and other" whodirectlyorindirectly
<br />ai,kd in the preparali'rIl ,,[ thi~ rep<>rt,
<br />
<br />BACKGROUND INFORMATION
<br />
<br />DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY
<br />AREA
<br />
<br />northern portion 01 th~ city. It bccom~,
<br />1ndel"'ndont Ranchmen;; Oitch in the yicinity
<br />of Grand Valley Canal. The Colorado River is
<br />theonlyothc'rstrt'amunder,tudywonterthe
<br />,'ity.pa,"in"thrnul'(hth,-wegtt,rn8<'et"r.Plate
<br />1 b 14 !<oneral map of the area, The stream
<br />r"ache, studied an',-hown in Tabte 1.
<br />
<br />Grand Junction, the eounty s~at and tho
<br />larl<est city hetwl'en O~nver and Salt Lake
<br />City, is located at the eonfluence of the
<br />Col""ado anel Gunni"on Riversaoout2fimilcs
<br />from tho Ut"hhorrler. Jt Iiegatan elevation of
<br />about ~600 feet betwoon the L'ncompabgro
<br />Pl"t.oau On the "':H1th and the Book Cliff,on the
<br />north, both of which rise abollt 2700 feet
<br />"hove the eity. Ge-or"e Crawford, u former
<br />"",verno,. of Kan.s<ls.cotabIi,hcd the town,ite
<br />in l~l<!, By "prinl'(of !ljb::, the fir,t irrigation
<br />faeiiiti~s we"~ complelu and a;rrieulture and
<br />li"'>ewck raigin~ had h~lSlln. A narrnw-j(a!!:f
<br />Jill" "I lhu O"lLver llnd Rio Grand W"stern
<br />l\ajlrourl fr(lm G"nniwn w~s Nlmplrtl'd to
<br />
<br />STREAM REACHES STUDIEO
<br />
<br /> Lellglh
<br />Stream Reach of Reach
<br /> From: Upstream 10: (mll~.)
<br />Colorado River :!:! Road :1:: Road "
<br />Gunniwn River Mouth Redla.nd~ Dam 2
<br />I...ach Cr,,~k 24110ad " Road ,
<br />Lewi, V.'ash Mouth Gm'ernment Hi~hlin~
<br /> Canal :J
<br />f!",.izonJlri,'r ~' It..llld \'ieillit~, of \\'alkl'r Fidel "
<br />Chan,"'!
<br />
<br />DRAINAGE AREA
<br />
<br />Th,' Colo,'ado Ri""r ri",," hilo!h i"th~ Roekv
<br />:,\u"rotaj", 011 U", W"SW"1l oiol-'l'oftneC:o";-
<br />tinental OJ,'ide. Th(, riv('rflows ,ollthweskrlv
<br />from itg hl'adwaterrel'(ions tll the vicinity~f
<br />(;rand ,Junction. westerly a.nd n",.t!lw('>lterlv
<br />thl'<lll"h the otud)' area,then,',('northwe,terl;'
<br />throll"h m,,<t of it, remainin!, ~<>tIr<e in
<br />(;',lorml". '1'11" (;'Jn~ison j{i\'~r, th~ princ;pal
<br />tributary w the Col,,,.,,,l,, RivC'r in (,dorado.
<br />ab" ris~'nt. i'lif(h l-I".,,,tio,,,on th,' westsl"p"
<br />
<br />Grand Junetion in 1882 and the main lin"
<br />from D.'nver wa:; completed through the ~ity
<br />;n 11\91, The area i" exwngively irrigated and
<br />much 01 the rural land is d~"elol"'d for
<br />farminf(, live.<t<wk rai<in", and orch"rd,
<br />!Jowover, the economic bu."" of Grand June-
<br />ti"" l~ very diver~ifi,,J, In addition to
<br />a"ricuJture, it involves, among other thinf("
<br />various ;ndu~trial and eomm~rejai"nd"a'.ors.
<br />and activitj,-~ r,~lawrl to n,<:reation and
<br />l.Ourism. Urand Junction is a maj,l!' rail"nd
<br />highway t'cnteF unrl th,' princ.'ipal "rhan area
<br />in Wesu'rn Colon"J<>. The city has a present
<br />p<>pulationofalxmt22.000.
<br />
<br />of the Contincntal Divide. Jtg ma.in ,tem
<br />foiiows a ,,,,,thwe'tcrty eOllr~l' from
<br />h"aelwawra"oa"toGonnisonwhcrl'itturn"to
<br />floww"stforabout4()mill'".th,'neel'(en~rally
<br />",orthwc,krly \(l the Colurmlo RiV<'r at Grand
<br />Junction. J"a..h Cr<-,'k. lloriwn P,'iV<'
<br />Channel. and Lewi, Wash ori~inllW i~ the
<br />Book Cliffs arc'a, Th,., rJraip,flf(f a,'e", oftn('
<br />,t,."am" lIn<kr ,(",.Iy and th~ plevations of
<br />their h"ndwilt"r ar~a' ",'cshown in Tabl,' 2,
<br />
<br />2
<br />
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