WSP01174

• File Number: 8449.900
• Description: South Platte Projects - Bear Creek
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 1/1/1968
• Author: USACOE
• Title: Bear Creek Basin, South Platte River and Tributaries, Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska - Letter from the Secretary of the Army
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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investigations were made in sufficient detail to permit fornrnlation of a
sound plan of improvements, and to define the estimates of costs and benefits
associated with this plan. Agencies of Federal, state and local government
were consulted during the investigation to insure that all viewpoints were
given appropriate consideration in the development of the plan of improvement.
Local interests were consulted by means of public hearings and other meetings,
and their desires and specific proposals with respect to i1llprovements have
been considered.

c. Geographic scope. The South Platte River review investigation has
included the entire South Platte River basin of 24,030 square miles. For
purposes of study, the basin was divided into the upper basin, comprising
the drainage area entering the South Platte River upstream from Weldona,
Colorado (near Fort Morgan, Colorado), and the lower basin from Weldona
to the confluence of the South Platte River with the Platte River near North
Platte, Nebraska. The drainage area of the upper basin is 13,287 square
miles. The drainage area of the lower basin is 10,743 square miles. '!he
stream length of the South Platte River in the upper basin is approximately
250 miles and in the lower basin is 192 miles.

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d. For study purposes, the upper basin has been subdivided further
into the drainage area which converges on metropolitan Denver, Colorado,
totaling 4,850 square miles' and the remaining drainage area of the upper
basin totaling 8,437 square miles. The drainage area of the South Platte
River immediately upstream from metropolitan Denver is 2,621 square miles,
whereas the remaining drainage area of the tributary watersheds between
the upstream limits of the metropolitan area and Brighton, Colorado,
totals 2,229 square miles.

e. 'Ihe principal tributaries which enter the South Platte River at metro-
politan Denver are the high plains tributaries - Plum Cree~Cherry Creek and
Sand Creek; and the mountain tributaries - Bear Creek and Clear Creek. Each
of these tributaries contributes to the flood problems of metropolitan
Denver, Flood control for the South Platte River and Plum Creek is in-
corporated in the authorized Chatfield Dam to be located approximately
eight miles south of the city of Denver. Flood control on Cherry Creek
is provided by Cherry Creek Dam completed by the Corps of Engineers in 1953.

3. PRIOR REPORTS AND INVESTIGATIONS

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f. The geographic scope of this interim report is limited to the Bear
Creek basin and to the associated flood problems on the South Platte River,
extending through Denver and downstream to the confluence of St. Vrain
Creek.

a. The report under review, which was published as' House Document
Numbered 669, Eightieth Congress, Second Session, provided an evaluation
of the flood and related water problems of the South Platte River basin
based on the levels of economic growth existing in 1945. The report
recommended authorization of a plan of improvements involving construction
of the fOllowing works for flood control and allied purposes.

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