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<br />the Morrison gage, which is near the State Highway 8 bridge over <br />Bear Creek. <br /> <br />Mount Vernon Creek drains an area of approximately 10 square miles <br />beginning near Genesee Park along Interstate Highway 70 at its <br />upper end and empties into Bear Creek at Morrison. Another left <br />bank tributary to Bear Creek, called Bear Creek Tributary No.7, <br />drains an area of 0.65 square mile and also has its junction with <br />Bear Creek near the center of town. <br /> <br />Morrison is not a rapidly developing town and many residents have <br />been there many years. Little recent construction activity has <br />occurred, and future construction seems unlikely, especially within <br />the Bear Creek flood plain. <br /> <br />Vegetation varies throughout the study area. In areas above the <br />timberline, vegetation is sparse. In the timber and woodland <br />areas, aspen, oak brush, spruce, juniper, and native grasses are <br />found. <br /> <br />The soils in the study area consist mainly of sandy to clayey <br />material with a high percentage of rock fragments. Rock outcrop <br />occurs on approximately 40 percent of the area and consists mainly <br />of crystalline and sedimentary rocks. The depth to the bedrock <br />is usually shallow. <br /> <br />2.3 Principal Flood Problems <br /> <br />The history of flooding within the Town of Morrison indicates <br />that floods occur during the season of late May through early <br />September, seemingly the result of cloudburst activity. Flood <br />problems in the town result from high peaks occurring in Bear <br />Creek and Mount Vernon Creek as they enter Morrison, especially <br />when they occur simultaneously or in close succession. Much property <br />has been destroyed, including bridges, railroad tracks, houses, <br />and highways in the canyons (Reference 3). <br /> <br />Both manmade and naturally occurring obstructions exist within <br />the flood plain, restricting the flow of water and causing an <br />increase in flood levels. The obstructions consist of trees and <br />a heavy growth of underbrush in some areas. Obstructions within <br />the Bear Creek flood plain consist mostly of large rocks, trees, <br />and some brush areas within the flood plain. Potential obstructions <br />on Mount Vernon Creek, in the vicinity of the town, consist of <br />tall grass, brush, a private wooden bridge, and a concrete box <br />culvert under State Highway 8, with insufficient clearance to <br />pass the 100-year flood. The wooden bridge is approximately 150 <br />feet upstream from the State Highway 8 structure and could conceiv- <br />ably be carried downstream as a blockage for the State Highway <br />8 structure. The Bear Creek Tributary No. 7 flood plain has a <br />severe brush problem with small trees, bushes, and weeds growing <br /> <br />4 <br />