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Flood Plain Information: Big Thompson River, Loveland to The

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Flood Plain Information: Big Thompson River, Loveland to The PLAIN INFORMATION BIG THOMPSON RIVER LOVELAND TO THE LARIMER — WELD COUNTY LINE, COLORADO ; LITTLE THOMPSON RIVER BOULDER AND LARIMER COUNTIES NEAR BERTHOUD, COLORADO 1 y', TC 423 .C6 PREPARED FOR B54 LARIMER COUNTY, BOULDER COUNTY 19 7 7 LARIMER - WELD REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS AND COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD BY DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, OM^IHA DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, 68102 '• * # LIBRAR í SEP 19 1978 Bureau oí Reclamation Der»-' 'orado / Mi BUREAU OF RECLAMATION DENVER LIBRARY 92026874 CONTENTS *1202bfl74 Page Preface.... .................................... I Background Information ................................ I Sett I em e n t ......... ........... ........ 1 The Stream and its V a l l e y .... ............... 2 Development on the Flood Plain ................... 10 Flood Situation ..................... ........ .......... II Sources of Data and Records ...................... 11 Flood Season and Flood Characteristics .... ...... 12 Factors Affecting Flooding and Its Impact ....... 12 Obstructions to floodflows.... ............. 12 Flood damage reduction measures ............ 13 Other factors and their impacts ........ .. 14 Flood warning and forecasting ............... 14 Flood fighting and emergency evacuation plans 15 Material storage on the flood plain ........ 15 Past Floods ............................... ............ 16 Summary of Historical Floods ..................... 16 Flood Records ................................... 18 Flood Descriptions ............................. 19 June 1921 .............................. ..... 19 June 1923 ................................... 20 September 1938 .............................. 20 June 1949 ................................ 20 August 1951 ................................. 21 Future Floods ............................... .......... 22 Frequency ....... ................................. 23 Hazards of Large Fl oo ds..... .................. 24 Flooded areas and flood damages ............ 24 Obstructions to floodflows ......... ........ 27 Velocities of flow .......................... 28 Rate of rise and duration of flooding ...... 28 GIossary of Terms ...... ................. ............. 29 I TABLES Tab le Page 1 Big Thompson River Basin Vicinity Climatological Data ............................... 3 2 Stream Gag i ng Data ................................. II 3 Annual Peak Discharges for the Big Thompson River Near D r a k e ........ ................................ 16 4 Annual Peak Discharges for the Big Thompson River Near La Salle ...................................... 17 5 Annual Peak Discharges for the Little Thompson River Near Berthoud ............................... 18 6 Summary of Pertinent Discharges for the Big Thompson River Basin .............. 23 7 Flood Plain Reference Data, Big Thompson River Loveland to the Larimer-Weld County Line, Colorado........................................... 32 8 Flood Plain Reference Data, Little Thompson River Boulder and Larimer Counties Near Berthoud, Co I or a d o .............. 36 PHOTOGRAPHS Figure Page 1 Big Thompson River. Looking downstream from County Road 9E (reference point I) ................ 5 2 Big Thompson River. Looking downstream from U. S. Highway 87 (reference point 22) ............ 5 3 Big Thompson River. Looking upstream from County Road 3S (reference point 37) ............... 6 4 Big Thompson River. Looking upstream from the Larimer-Weld County Line (reference point 50) .... 6 5 Little Thompson River. Looking upstream from County Road 4 (reference point 59) ................ 7 6 Little Thompson River. Looking downstream from County Road 4 (reference point 59) ................ 7 7 Little Thompson River. Looking upstream from U. S. Highway 287 (reference point 69) ........... 8 ii CONTENTS (continued) PHOTOGRAPHS (contInued) -v Ü M E* Page 8 Little Thompson River. Looking downstream from U. S. Highway 287 (reference point 69)...... 8 9 Little Thompson River. Looking upstream from County Road 6C (reference point 99).... 9 I® Little Thompson River. Looking downstream from County Road 6C (reference point 99).............. 9 Little Thompson River. Looking upstream from the Larimer—Weld County Line (reference point (103).............................................. ,0 PLATES T-itle Plate Number Basin Map ............................................ I Plate Index Map ........................... .......... 2 Flooded Areas ........................................ 3_8 Prof i I es ............................................... 9-23 Cross Sections ......................................... 24-28 iii BIG THOMPSON RIVER BASIN LITTLE THOMPSON RIVER BASIN BOULDER CO. WELD CO BASIN BOUNDARY AT DOWNSTREAM LIMITS OF STUDY BASIN MAP NO SCALE PLATE I PREFACE This report describes the fload characteristics of the Big Thompson River and the. L ittle Thompson River in eastern Larimer County, Colorado, and the Little Thompson Riven in northern Boulder County, Colorado. The study reach o f th e Big Thompson Riven, extends from about 2 miles southeast of Loveland downstream to the Larimer- Weld County line. The Little Thompson Riven, study reach extends fAm the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains about 7.5 miles south­ w est o f Benthoud downstream to th e LanimeA-Weld County lin e . Land use along these stneams is primarily agricultural. This AepoAt was prepared fan the guidance of local offi- cials in planning the use and regulation of the flood plain. Two potential floods weAe used to AepAesent degAees of major flooding th a t may occjua in the future. These two floods, the 100-year and the 500-yean, one defined in the Glossany and should be given appro- pAiate consideration in planning for safety of development in the flood plain. The two potential floods one further defined by flooded aAea maps that show the appAoximate aaeas that would be inundated, flood profiles show the water depths Aelative to the stAeambed and flood elevations acAoss the width of the valley. Caoss se c tio n s aAe pAesented to indicate gAound level acAoss the valley and the over- lying flood depths. The flood profiles and flooded aAea data pAe­ sented aAe based on the existing conditions of the basin, stAeam, and valley when the AepoAt was pAepaAed. Possible future improve­ ments to contAol floods aAe not a considenation of this AepoAt. The information in this AepoAt does not imply any federal interest oa authority to zone oa Aegulate use of the flood plain ; this is a local Aesponsibility. The AepoAt provides a suitable basis for the adop­ tion of land use controls to guide flood plain development with consideration for environmental attributes, thereby preventing inten­ sification of loss problems. Because the report identifies flood problems, i t w ill stimulate the development of other flood damage reduction techniques such as flood control, removal of obstructions, and flood proofing; these techniques might be used in an overall flo od P lain Management I f PM) program. At the request of the former Larimer-Weld Regional Planning Commission, now the Larimer-Weld Regional Council of Governments, through the Colorado Water Conservation Board, this report was pre­ pared by the Omaha D istrict, Corps of Engineers, under the continuing authority provided in Section 206 of the 1960 flood Control Act {Public Law £6-645), as amended. The cooperation of local officials and public and private interests in providing assistance and information was most helpful. Distribution of the report to officials, agencies, and individuals concerned with planning in the area covered w ill be made by Larimer County and by Boulder County. The Corps of Engineers w ill provide interpretation and technical assistance, if requested, in the application of the report data. Other guidelines available from the Corps of Engineers are a pamphlet, "Guidelines for Reducing flood Damages", and a booklet, "Introduction to flood Proofing". i BACKGROUND INFORMATION SETTLEMENT The settlement of Colorado essentially began in 1540 when Don Francesco De Coronado and his party entered the region. These Spaniards found many tribes of Indians. The Ute, Arapahoe, and Cheyenne Indian Tribes resided in the mountain areas and on the plains to the east. Later, in 1806 and in 1820, respectively, Zebulon Pike and Stephen H. Long explored the area, each discover­ ing a mountain peak that today bears their name. Fur traders and mountain men also explored the area in the early 1800’s contribut­ ing to the eventual settlement of the area. The search for wealth and status, however, brought on by the gold rush of 1858 contrib­ uted most to settlement of Colorado. This rush brought not only gold seekers but merchants, farmers, and ranchers who established permanent settlements. The first permanent settler was Mariano Modena who set­ tled near present day Loveland in 1858. By I860, several families had settled in the Thompson valley primarily raising cattle and a few crops. In 1867, irrigation began with the construction of the first major ditch to divert water from the Big Thompson River. Railroad service to the area began in 1877 when the Colorado Central Railroad completed a rail line from Golden, Colorado to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The addition of railroad facilities added to the pros­ perity of the valley. By 1901, several manufacturing companies were operating in the area. These included a sugar beet processing factory, fruit and vegetable canning, a flour mill, a grain ele­ vator, a stone quarry, and a plaster mill. The present day area in the vicinity of the Big and Little Thompson Rivers is primarily
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