Flooding and erosive flows following a 2004 rainstorm caused this bridge collapse in El Paso County. East Sand Creek had been
Flooding and erosive flows following a 2004 rainstorm caused this bridge collapse in El Paso County. East Sand Creek had been "channelized" upstream of this structure - possibly concentrating the flows and resulting in this damage. Photo credit: Colorado Geological Survey.|Bank erosion (cut bank caving) along the North Fork of the Gunnison River in Paonia

Hazards, Water

Case study: Fluvial Hazard Zone

“The Fluvial Hazard Zone (FHZ) is defined as the area a stream has occupied in recent history, may occupy, or may physically influence as it stores and transports water, sediment, and debris.” The CGS often collaborates with local, state, and federal agencies on projects concerning emergency preparedness and community…

General

Quote: Robert Frost, geohazards expert

Not only sands and gravels Were once more on their travels, But gulping muddy gallons Great boulders off their balance Bumped heads together dully And started down the gully. Whole capes caked off in slices. I felt my standpoint shaken…

Avalanche debris in the runout zone taken from a helicopter on the morning after the avalanche occurred
Avalanche debris in the runout zone taken from a helicopter on the morning after the avalanche occurred

Hazards

Case Study: Avalanche – Silver Plume

On March 23, 2003, a large avalanche occurred about one mile west of the Town of Silver Plume. The avalanche brought trees, rock, soil and snow to the valley floor, knocked down overhead utility lines, blocked the I-70 frontage road, damaged the town’s water treatment plant (WTP), and dammed Clear Creek. The dam was breached using explosives before the plant’s electric pump motors were flooded. With damage to the WTP’s chlorine contact tank and building, Silver Plum...