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<br />The majority of floods on Bear Creek have been flashfloods, typical <br />of mountain streams. However, general rains on snovpack in the mountains <br />produce floods of larger volume and longer duration, Urbanization and <br />agricultural trends in the basin have led to an increase in the number of <br />acres of land which contribute to direct runoff because of the removal <br />of native vegetation. At the present time, industrialization does not <br />appear to be a major, environmental pollutant problem in the basin. <br /> <br />The floodplain downstream of the damsi te has an average width of <br />1,500 feet. Tne creek's cbannel has been altered in some manner throughout <br />nearly all of the urban reach between the mouth and Wadsworth Boulevard <br />(a distance of approximately 4 miles). Alterations for improving the <br />streamflow include relocation, straightening, and enlargement, or some <br />combination of the three. However, bridge constructions and urban encroachment <br />have offset much of the benefit derived from the alterations. Between <br />Wadsworth Boulevard and the proposed damsi te, the channel is in its natural <br />state except where gravel mining operations have occurred. Between the mouth <br />and the proposed damsite the channel averages 80 feet in width, 7-9 feet <br />in depth and has a minimum average capacity of 2,500 cubic feet per second. <br />(It averages 2,500 c.f.s. from the damsite to Wadsworth Boulevard and <br />4,800 c.f.s. from Wadsworth Boulevard to the mouth.) <br /> <br />The Bear Creek project site is located on the east slope of the <br />Rocky Mountain Front Range about two miles east of the Dakota Hogback. <br />The hogback is a prominent ridge and provides a scenic setting of outstanding <br />value. The particular portion that is directly west of the project site <br />is known as Mt. Glennon. Red Rocks Park is located one mile north of <br />Morrison and about 1 1/2 miles northwest of the Bear Creek project <br />boundary. The outstanding feature of this park is the outcroppings <br />of red sandstone. An amphitheatre has been carved out of this rock and is <br />the focal point of the park. <br /> <br />Within the project area there are cottonwoods, willows and box elder <br />trees scattered along the streambanks and across the valley floor. <br />Shrubs found here include alders, willows and wildrose. Ground cover <br />consists of a few native grasses, some weedy grasses and many annual <br />weeds, including, but not limited to, numerous species of wild mustards. <br />The poor condition of the ground cover is due primarily to overgrazing <br />by cattle and horses. The slopes of Mt. Carbon are vegetated with native <br />short-grasses, weedy annuals, some perennials and many shrubs. The stream <br />below the proposed damsi te supports a mixture of cottom-roods, willows, and <br />weedy grasses and annuals. This is especially true from the damsi te to <br />Wadsworth Boulevard. From Wadsworth Boulevard to the mouth the channel has <br />been extensi vely modified and the associated natural vegetation has largely <br />been destroyed in the process. <br /> <br />The proposed project lie" within the Denver metropolitan area. This <br />area has a 1970 population of about 1,240,000. Most of this population <br />is located to the east and nortb of the project. New urban development is <br /> <br />2 <br />