Flash Flood in Ouray County, Colorado

Heavy rainfall at the headwaters of Dallas Creek and Pleasant Valley Creek resulted in flash flooding all the way downstream to Ridgway Reservoir. In some areas the rushing water was nearly 20 feet higher than the normal stream flow. The flash flooding damaged or destroyed several county bridges, destroyed a foot bridge, damaged about two miles of County Road 24, flooded a few residences, damaged a number of outbuildings, and carried away or flooded several vehicles. The water also flooded part of a golf course. A family was rescued from the loft of a barn from which they were trapped by the rising flood waters. Miraculously, the only livestock fatalities were a chicken and an ostrich. The USGS stream gage on Dallas Creek was washed away and never found. The estimated peak flow of water in Dallas Creek was 2300 cubic feet per second (cfs), which is more than double the previous record flow of 1120 cfs previously set in August of 1923. Rainfall measurements in the area ranged from 1.84 inches in Ridgway to 3.77 inches in Pleasant Valley, most of which came within a two hour period.