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<br />DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
<br />OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OJl" ENOINEERS
<br />WASHINGTON 28, D. C.
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<br />Subjeot, Fortificatian Crook at Craig, Colorado
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<br />To, TEE SECRETARY OF TEE ARMY
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<br />1. I BUbmit for tr....miasion to Ccmgress my report with accompany1ng
<br />papers on pre1.iJW>ary "Y"~in"tion and survey of Fortification 'Creek at
<br />Craig, Coloredo, which is an interim rsport in response to the authorization
<br />oontained in the Flood Control Act approved June 28, 1938, calling far a
<br />preliminary examination and survey of Oolorado River and it. tributaries
<br />above Lees Fsrry, Arizona. A final report under the authorization will be
<br />submitted at a later data.
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<br />2. Fortifioation Creek rises in the Elkheaci I!ountains in north""st
<br />Colorado. and flows generally aoutlniard about 41 mile. to join Ysmpa Riv.r
<br />near Oraig, Colorado. Y8Illpa River flOllS general1y "".tward about 140 milss
<br />from Craig to Green River, 1ihich is a trlbutary of the Colorado Riv.r above
<br />Lee F.rri, Arizona. Th. Fortifioation Creek Basin contain. 259 squars
<br />miles of gently rOlling to mountainous terrain, ranging in .l.vation fr""
<br />about 6 ,200 f.st near Craig to about 10,500 f.et in the E1kheed lountains.
<br />In the upper part of the basin the creak is in steep~""lled canyons. About
<br />25 milss north of Oraig, it ...ters a narrow valley bordered by rolling
<br />hills through 1ihich it ...ander. to the conflllence with Y8Illpa River. str.am
<br />slopss vary from about 500 feet per mils in the mountains to about 8 fe.t
<br />p.r mils n.ar Craig. A heavy growl;h of gra.... cover. the uncultivatsd
<br />portion of the stre811 valleye, .and forssts of aspen, pin., fir, and spruce
<br />grow above .levation 9,000 f.et. lIost of the inhabitants of th. basin live
<br />in and nsar'Oraig, lIhich bad a populatiQll sst:l:mated at 5,000 in 1948. The
<br />principal occupation. are in transportation indu.tri.s and in ths produc-
<br />tion and marketing of livestock. Craig is a railroed t.rminu. and th.
<br />Shipping centsr and distribution point for OR extensive surrounding arsa.
<br />Th. amount of irrigat.d land in tlie basin is .stblat.d at more than 2,500
<br />acres. A transcontinental highway, U. s. 40, pa.s.s tllrough the t01ll1 of
<br />Craig, and a paved stat. higlIllay ext.nds northward into 1I'yoming. Ther.
<br />is no existing Fsderal proj.ct for flood control 1.n th. Fortifica.tion Cre.k
<br />Basin. Local intere.ts heve spent about .:IS ,000 for levees and channel
<br />improv....nts but the ave.. have bsen de.troyed by sub s.quent floods, and
<br />chann.l improvements have b.en only partial1y sucosssful in providing pro-
<br />t.otion. Local interest. also constructsd a diVersion dam, heed gate,
<br />and 2 irrigation canals in the vioinity of Craig. About 10 y.ars ago,
<br />the SoU COIls.rvation Service construoted a .eries of brush-and.....arth dams
<br />far erosion oontrol upstre811 from the diversion dam, but they have sinc.
<br />deteriorated and have no practical effsct on the flood problem at Craig.
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<br />3. 1I0st major floods en Fortifioatian Creek result from spring
<br />tha... that rapidJ,y melt a heavy snow COVer and oauSe the ice to break up
<br />and then to jam in the str.am cham1el. Ocoasional1y, the /lD.""""melt runoff
<br />may be aupented by rWloff fran rainfall. Under normal conditions of flOll',
<br />discharg.s in ""o.ss of 700 cubio feet p.r second at U. S. 1ligh....1 40
<br />bridge are damaging, but in the early spriDg even smallsr flOllS result in
<br />ic. jams that caus. bank overflow and damage to adjacent prop.rty within
<br />the town. Larg. floods occurrsd in 1897, ~904, 1911, 1914, 1916, 1917,
<br />1921, and 1947. 1I0st 1mproyement. in th. ar.a subj.ct to damage frOll
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