PROJ00474

• Contract/PO #: FS0005x
• Contractor Name: Central Colorado Water Conservancy District
• County: El Paso
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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FLOOD EVENTS ON BOX ELDER CREEK

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Table 1 lists the occurrences of flows in Box Elder Creek at Bootleg
Reservoir. This table is based both on Water Commissioner's records and on
information supplied by Mr. Lawrence E. "Butch" Gerkin, manager of the
Henrylyn Irrigation District (owner of Bootleg Reservoir). In some
instances, records for Klug Reservoir were used to determine whether
flooding had occurred.

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Klug Reservoir, constructed in 1920 or 1921, was destroyed by flood in
the mid - 1930' s. Moonshine Reservoir was destroyed by flood in 1939.
Ireland #5 Reservoir was also damaged by flood in the 1930's and again in
the 1980's. Bootleg Reservoir has never sustained serious flood damage.

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The largest flood in recent years occurred in 1973. The flood
destroyed portions of Weld County Roads 4, 8, 12, 14, 16, 49 and 22 in
addition to private lanes, driveways, and livestock sheds. Colorado
Highway 52 was also seriously damaged. The railroad and u.S. Interstate 76
were not appreciably damaged. The dam at Klug Reservoir was able to
withstand the flood, but did sustain slight damage to its downstream face
where the spillway passes it. Bootleg Reservoir was filled to capacity and
spilling during this flood. Some of the spill water was diverted
downstream in the Denver Hudson Canal; the rest was passed through to Box
Elder Creek.

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Bootleg Reservoir also captured floods in 1975 and 1979. These floods
did not cause significant damage, due in part to Henrylyn 's ability to
divert spill into the Denver Hudson Canal.

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