Flood waters were replaced by a flood of people rescuers, family members and journalists, their own stories making headlines about covering the mayhem in a time before cellphones, the internet and camera ubiquity. Three people lost their lives in what was called the worst natural disaster to ever hit Estes Park. 592 (C.D. A foot of rain fell during a few hours in a stretch of land between the tourist hub of Estes Park and the quaint mountain communities of Drake and Glen Haven. You had to be tuned in. When I heard the news in Vail, it reminded me of the Big Thompson Flood of 1976, the summer we moved from the midwest to Vail. One man below the dam was swept to his death in the churning water. By the time victims understood the severity of what was happening around them, it was too late. As a consequence of the dam failure, aging dams at Pear Reservoir, Bluebird Lake and Sandbeach Lake in the park were demolished and removed. But 40 years ago Friday, another disaster struck the Estes Park area that once again claimed lives: the Lawn Lake Flood. Two other campers also were killed, but their survivors have not sued the government. What we see today is a blend of what was spared by the flood, as well as what the community envisioned for its future.. Aug. 3, 1976. He would be among the dead pulled from rubble in the following days. There was no warning. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. 2023 www.coloradoan.com. He was reunited with his parents in Loveland. No matter. Loss of life far outweighed any consideration of destruction of property, but destruction was vast, with business livelihoods in the canyon also snuffed out. The river even moved a 275-ton boulder the size of a small house. Investigation of the Failure of Lawn Lake Dam. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. George McCarty, 21, from Denver, wascamping along U.S. Highway 36. Now we have the riverwalk, we have park benches, we have new lighting. The Big Thompson River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 78 miles (123 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado.Originating in Forest Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park, the river flows into Lake Estes in the town of Estes Park and then through Big Thompson Canyon. Lawn Lake, at 10,789 feet at the headwaters of Roaring River in what now is Rocky Mountain National Park and eight miles west of Estes Park, originally was a 16.4-acre natural body of water dammed by a glacial moraine. Discover (and save!) The floodwaters that hit downtown Estes Park were devastating. Can't find what you're looking for? We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. The State Engineer performed an investigation and issued a report 8 months following the failure. [5] In Estes Park the flood joined the Big Thompson River and flowed into Lake Estes on the eastern edge of the city. Others remember the peculiarity of water fillingwheel barrows in a matter of seconds or nature's brilliant light show after the sun set. His initial report, which reads more like an elegy, includes this bit of wordcraft: The current cut away at its banks, and when the banks were gone, it began a rapid disintegration of everything in its pathWhere the canyon turned, the river didnt.. The Lawn Lake Trail is 6.3 miles one way and includes 2,500 feet of elevation gain. Flood waters destroyed 18 bridges, damaged road systems particularly Fall River Road, 177 businesses (75 percent of Estes Park's commercial activity), and 108 residences. Much of the water, mud and detritus rushed across the Horseshoe Park basin, merging with Fall River and backing up behind the Cascade Dam. Of course you Theres a Zen vibe at Harper House Apartments. It damaged 177 businesses (over 90% of the businesses). Said Rosener, bluntly, a second-rate tourist trap.. The surging flow destroyed a state fish hatchery and a small hydropower plant as well as bridges and cabins along the narrow Fall River. The shops on the south side of Elkhorn and Fall River generally suffered more damage. As the waters were coming down Elkhorn and propane tanks were spinning around and cars were crashing into our business, he said, we looked at each other and said, Oh, what a tremendous opportunity this is!, Thomas recalled that the town had been laid out facing the street and turning its back on the rivers. The Aspenglen campground was destroyed and two campers who returned to recover camping gear lost their lives, due to insufficient warning from park rangers. Lawn Lake Dam was an earthen dam in Rocky Mountain National Park, United States that failed on July 15, 1982, at about 6 a.m., in an event known as the flood of 1982. Man arrested, suspected of supplying fentanyl to teen who . ", 10 YEARS LATER:Reporter remembers how Big Thompson Flood unfolded. The water hit the west edge of Estes Park around 8:00 in the morning. Homes and cottages along West Creek and the North Fork of the Big Thompson River near Glen Haven were, seemingly at random, ripped from their foundations, leveled in place, or completely ignored. They combine IV Hydration and nutritional therapy with You dont have to live with a sore, stiff neck. Fortunately, this dam was able to withstand the added pressure, but the sheer volume meant that the dam was quickly overtopped, causing a secondary flood surge. Due to its remote location with challenging access, inspections of the facility were relatively infrequent. The vast volume of water poured into Fall River and picked up finely divided glacial silt in the process. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. It wasn't until the death toll surpassed the 100 people that many realized just how bad this storm had been. Given that the campground had been evacuated by the Park Service, its highly likely that the death toll would have been much higherif Stephen Gillette hadnt set out on his route an hour earlier than usual that day. For more information on this, or other historic Colorado floods, visit Western History and Genealogy. The answer was formation of the Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority, thanks to the efforts of the then two-year-old Forward Estes Park Foundation. A Colorado State Patrol trooper responds to investigate. The churning mix of water, mud, and debris arrived downtown around 8:45 a.m., its path of least resistance straight down Elkhorn Avenue. The forested banks of Roaring River where scoured away in a landslide of thousands of tons of material. gather at theBig Thompson Canyon Association and Memorial Site, How the Coloradoan covered the Big Thompson Flood in 1976, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Northern Colorado mens basketball led by local players in 88-77 loss at Colorado, Duluth Boy Scout has slept outside for 1,000 days and counting, Italian film legend Gina Lollobrigida dubbed the most beautiful woman in the world dies at age 95, Pain and prison, then peace: How a Denver shooter and victim reconciled two decades after the shot was fired, RBonney Gabriels Miss Universe win dogged by rigging allegations, Lisa Marie Presley leaves behind a lucrative Graceland and a complicated financial legacy, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Estes Park is one. The force of the water first backed up behind the dam, and then suddenly toppled the 17-foot high structure at 7:42 a.m. Youve tried treating it with heat or cold, but it Treehouse Learning draws from the combined wisdom of trusted experts in childhood development. An. [15] Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Glen Haven suffered as well, and the Trail-Gazette could only cover Glen Haven initially, because access wasnt available beyond. Much of the impact of the flood was absorbed by the broad expanse of Horseshoe Park. The water hit the west edge of Estes Park around 8:12 a.m. Avoided being hit by a tornado in South Dakota. The dam was most likely constructed in 1903, and had been expanded in 1931 to increase its capacity. Other times just speeches. National Park Service. Upstream dam failures can fail downstream dams. When it comes to Colorado natural disasters, the 1976 Big Thompson Flood overshadows all with its 144 lives lost and damage to more than 400 homes. It then took out another small dam and destroyed Nickys riverside restaurant and resort as well as a mobile home park on the site that now is the Fall River Village development as it headed for Estes Park. That still wasnt the end of it. "[W]hat strikes me most is not how quickly the flood and the rescue were over but how long the clean-up took and how deeply the scars cut. I got up and went and walked my dog, and thats how little hurry I was in. The reservoir was at almost 11,000 foot elevation and the dam enlarged a natural glacially-formed lake. Waves of anger were the afterflood, especially over something so seemingly preventable hitting during the height of the tourist season, with no state or federal entity willing to provide real relief, or accept real blame. Meteorologists, stung by this assertion, will point out they began warning of a major storm, including the potential for flash flooding, the day before. They combine IV Hydration and nutritional therapy with You dont have to live with a sore, stiff neck. The actual broadcasts from Estes Park radio station KSIR are matched with dramatic slides and photographs to present the story of tragedy, destruction and re. When all was said and done, the flood did over 31 million dollars in damage to Estes Park alone, most of which wasnt covered by insurance. The flood swept away one camper. Upon reaching the mouth of the valley at Horseshoe Park, where the torrent was able to spread out and slow for a bit, it left an alluvial fan covering over 40 acres. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. Water, Ditches, Dams and Floods. We often remember the Lawn Lake flood for its destruction, Estes Park town administrator Frank Lancaster said. All rights reserved. 5 p.m.Saturday July 31, 1976: Massive clouds erupt and light rain begins falling across the upper reaches of the Big Thompson Canyon. [6], "Case Study: Lawn Lake Dam (Colorado, 1982)", "Coates v. United States, 612 F. Supp. Jun 15, 2022 Updated Jun 15, 2022. At the parks Lawn Lake trailhead along Fall River Road, Stephen Gillette, who recently retired as Larimer County solid-waste director, was working for Fort Collins-based A-1 Trash Co. and was emptying a dumpster when he heard the thunderous sounds from above and alerted authorities, then fled. 10:30 p.m.: A wave of water nearly 20 feet tall squeezes its way through the Big Thompson Canyon, destroying everything in its path. The bodies of five flood victims were never located. Photo by Z. Bleuins, Bureau of Reclamation, July 15, 1982. Unfocused. If the Lawn Lake flood had never happened, Estes Park would not look the way it does today, said Dave Thomas, who managed local radio station KSIR-AM 1470 at the time and covered the breaking story on the morning of July 15, 1982. 5892: Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2012, H.R. State inspectors were partially to blame along with the Park Service. Willis Hugh Purdy in his last radio transmission before being swept away,killed by the water. Campers at Aspen Glen Campground, just downstream of the Cascade Reservoir dam, were warned in time to evacuate. Much of the impact of the flood was absorbed by the broad expanse of Horseshoe Park. Families gathered at the oldLoveland Memorial Hospital, anxious to hear the latest identity of the figurestucked in body bags, whichwere laid out in refrigerated trucks in the parking lot there were too many for the morgue to handle. 6:30 p.m.: Rain turns heavy, particularly in areas between Estes Park, Glen Haven, and Drake along the U.S. Highway 34 corridor. The scar left by the scouring of Roaring River and the alluvial fan at Horseshoe Park are still very apparent 37 years later and will remain for a very long time[citation needed]. Youve tried treating it with heat or cold, but it Treehouse Learning draws from the combined wisdom of trusted experts in childhood development. [3], When the dam failed the waters rushed down the Roaring River valley, which falls 2,500 feet (760m) in 6 miles (9.7km), at a peak rate of 18,000 cubic feet per second (510 m3/s), scouring a large gully out of the mountain stream and killing one person camping alongside it. The reservoir was 4 feet below its normal water level and it was believed the reservoir and 70-foot tall concrete Olympus Dam could contain the flow. They were part of a large group in Horseshoe Park. Each year, residents, friends, family, and survivors gather at theBig Thompson Canyon Association and Memorial Site, about one mile below Drake, 13 miles west of the Kmart on U.S. Highway 34 in Loveland. Don't forget to like ourFacebookpage to keep up to date with all our research news and events! Cascade Dam overtopping. claimed 144 lives and caused $35 million of damages, A look back at Coloradoan's coverage of the 1976 flood, Reporter remembers how Big Thompson Flood unfolded. The three weather systems approaching from Arizona, Canada, and the Gulf of Mexico were hardly a secret. More than 400 vehicles,many loaded with tourists or residents trying outrun the water,were swept off roads and sentcrashing down the steep andcraggy mountain canyon. After 17 minutes of overtopping, Cascade Dam gave way and a new flood surge of 16,000 cfs poured through the breach. They were among the first evacuated by helicopter. By 8:30 p.m., though, both throughout the canyon and in Glen Haven, the power was out, the phones were out, roads began washing away, rock walls started sliding in earnest, and propane tanks became unmoored. Around 6:15 in the morning, shortly after pulling into the Lawn Lake trailhead lot, he heard a roaring sound which he initially mistook for a jet about to crash. We have trees planted along Elkhorn Avenue. Elkhorn Avenue, Estes Parks primary commercial strip, roughly paralleled Fall River, and sustained the bulk of the damage. Some lived there, some had summer homes or RVs parked there, some, like members of Campus Crusade for Christ who had traveled from as far away as the Philippines, were visiting Colorado for the first time. All rights reserved. Tragically, it claimed three lives as well as the livelihoods of many downtown business owners. 2023 www.coloradoan.com. Pressurized pipes within embankment dams can lead to failure. Two were camping in the Aspenglen Campground and a third was a camper last seen below Lawn Lake in the Roaring Fork drainage. Hydrology, Geomorphology, and Dam-break Modeling of the July 15, 1982, Lawn Lake Dam and Cascade Lake Dam Failures, Larimer County, Colorado. Here is how the Lawn Lake Flood unfolded, according to various historical accounts. The Colorado State Engineer determined that the probable cause of the dam failure was deterioration of lead caulking on the joint between the outlet pipe and the gate valve leading to internal erosion of the earth-fill dam. The peak flow was approximately 20,000 cfs. Chance of precipitation is 60%. All of my team worked over the next 12 to 14 months to create the plan, construction began in 1984 and was done in about two years.. This page was last edited on 28 June 2021, at 22:26. Until waters receded by mid-afternoon, most storeowners were reduced to agonized views from safer vantage points on Little Prospect, Davis Hill, and the Birch Ruins, with a few remaining inside their shops, barricading doors and doing all they could to keep floodwaters from breeching windows, until concerns of ruptured gas lines forced police-backed eviction. : Association of State Dam Safety Officials. The Lawn Lake Dam, high in the Mummy Range area of Rocky Mountain National Park, broke during the early morning hours of July 15, 1982, unleashing a torrent of water that eventually swamped Elkhorn Avenue. Estes Park, Colorado, Flood July 15, 1982. With the 39th anniversary of one of Estes Park's biggest disasters approaching on July 15, 2021 . Thomas and Kaercher continued to broadcast, and later were credited with saving lives in Estes Park. Almost every store along the river in the downtown core area was damaged when the wall of water rolled through. It includes four crossings/bridges which are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. 40 YEAR LATER: Deadly Deluge:1976 Big Thompson Flood. The wall of water gushing through the 95-foot dam gash picked up speed as it raced down the steep slope, reaching an estimated 18,000 cubic feet per second as it scoured the valley up to 50 feet deep. Many years of successful dam performance does not guarantee future successful performance. The event was declared a presidential disaster. The dam was raised in 1931 to 24 feet high and stored a maximum of 817 acre feet of water. Olympus Dam, part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, there withstood the deluge and the flood was halted.[1]. Horseshoe Park is much bigger than Lawn Lake. The tranquility is real in the Japanese Zen garden courtyard, right outside AquafyIV specializes in primary care and IV hydration in a spa-like atmosphere. It was a state-wide three-day celebration because of Colorados Centennial, with an estimated 2000 people packed into the Big Thompson Canyon. I can't get out" said Colorado State Patrol Sgt. Submitted by Leonard Tinker on September 14, 2021. We had a unit you could take on the road; nowadays you just use a cellphone., Still, Thomas knew that water would eventually reach downtown Estes Park, so he set up his unit near what was then the Four Seasons motel on West Elkhorn Avenue just off the U.S. 34 bypass. Even if discovered early, only a superhero could have repaired the cracking dam in time, using laser-welds projected by X-ray vision. It eroded areas up to 50 feet deep. It was the eve of the state's 100th birthday, part ofa three-dayshindig that drew weekend warriors and outdoor enthusiasts to the mountains of Larimer County. Because of the topography of the canyon, ten inches of rain dumped over four hours multiplied into a 15-foot wall of water. What had been inches of water over the road initially was somehow now feet-deep a few crackles later. The three quickly set about locking the Fall River Road gate, and barricading Horseshoe Park Road. According to official measurements, Lake Estes rose two feet after receiving the flood waters, ending the flood about 9:30 a.m. Total damage in 1982 dollars was estimated at $31 million, though if not for the strength of Olympus Dam and Lake Estes' ability to swallow up the flood waters, the damage could have been much worse. [4], The flood entered the town of Estes Park and caused severe damage to 177 downtown businesses (75 percent of Estes Park's commercial activity). Video. A still frame captured from a news report on the Lake Lawn Flood in Estes Park on July 15, 1982. We camped at Lawn Lake in the 60's to fish. One Iowa couple stuck at the Inn of Glen Haven reported playing Old Man River and Stormy Weather on the grand piano in an attempt to break the tension, water pouring in under the door. Business owners were trapped between needing to reopen to survive, and lacking the ready cash to repair structural damage or replace ruined inventory. It was summer. It was an embankment dam and constructed in 1903 and owned by an irrigation company. 6:30 p.m.: Rain turns heavy, particularly in areas between. THROWBACK VIDEO: Lawn Lake Flood of 1982, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Ryan Kiera Armstrong to Screen Her New Film, The Old Way at the Stanley Hotel, Hike of the Week: Get Lost in the Solitude of Hidden Valley By Dawn Y. Wilson, Park Hospital District Public Board Meeting, School board hears arguments on charter school, Board of Education interviewed director of Loveland Classical School, THROWBACK VIDEO: Lawn Lake Flood of 1982 devastates Estes Park, Waterline work done on East Elkhorn Avenue, Molson Coors teases its first Super Bowl commercial in 34 years, Murder by Death showcases 10 years at The Stanley, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo coming to Denvers History of Colorado museum, Brought to you by Prairie Mountain Publishing, Larimer County restaurant inspections made Jan. 7-13, 2023, Koral Heights neighbors ramp up organization efforts to fight possible rezoning, Road Tripping: Ancient Paradise by HP Hanson. The forested banks of Roaring River where scoured away in a landslide of thousands of tons of material. Lawn Lake Dam was located in Rocky Mountain National Park upstream of Estes Park, Colorado. Chris, thank you for this short but informative story on the Lawn Lake Flood. NEWS:How the Coloradoan covered the Big Thompson Flood in 1976. Have a story idea? A 3-foot diameter, riveted steel outlet pipe was used for releases. Willis Hugh Purdy, with Colorado State Patrol, radios his final transmission after warning dozens of people to get out of harms way. your own Pins on Pinterest The park also built interpretive signs explaining the formation of the site to enhance the visitor experience. The only line in the piece that doesnt still ring true is the opening one, a still-contentious It came without warning. As it happened, the source of the problem was the Lawn Lake Dam. Thirty years ago Sunday, a wall of water forever changed the landscape in downtown Estes Park. All rights reserved. The water began receding about midafternoon. To poorly paraphrase Cormac McCarthy in No Country for Old Men, if they werent in a mess the night of July 31, 1976, what they were about to witness would serve until the real mess got there. My brother and sister and I were guided by a family friend (Cecil Hinshaw) who also took us up Longs Peak via the cable route on the North Face now a technical route after the removal of the cables. The aftermath included months of clean-up and frustration. Colorado has certainly had no shortage of floods over the years. Lost Lake dam was dismantled followed by the Pear, Sandbeach and Bluebird dams. In this pre-cell phone era, he was able to coax a nearby emergency phone into life that had barely worked before (and, as legend has it, played forever dead thereafter). Search the website, Search for books and materials in the Library Catalog, Search for photographs, maps, historical documents and more, Search newspapers, local histories, biographical works, newsletters and journals, Search for papers and materials in the Archival Collections. Lawn Lake flood 40 years ago changed Estes Park Water from the July 15, 1982, Lawn Lake flood flows past the intersection of Elkhorn Avenue and Riverside Drive in mid-Estes Park,. Terry Coates, 36, vice principal at a Peoria elementary school, was vacationing with his family in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, Colo., when he drowned in the flood that followed the collapse of Lawn Lake Dam on July 15, 1982. High Plains Bank began doing business in Longmont a decade ago, providing personal banking at its best. 239 S. Limestone Street But the worst, the absolute gut-wrenching worst, was in the lower half of the Big Thompson Canyon. However, two campers returned to retrieve camping gear and were swept away by the flood waters and killed. Once a small channel had eaten into the earthen dam under pressure, it rapidly expanded. Propane tanks burst. RMNP Flooding. I'm right in the middle of it. We were very fortunate that there was no loss of life in the town, Thomas said. A little after 8 a.m., the muddy, debris-ladden flood waters plowed into downtown Estes Park via Elkhorn Avenue at an estimated speed of 6,000 cfs. The Lawn Lake disaster became the perfect opportunity for the Park Service to dismantle selected dams. By 1982, the reservoir covered 48 acres and was up to 35 feet deep. news. The force behind the Big Thompson Disaster was Mother Nature. Of course you Theres a Zen vibe at Harper House Apartments. All things considered, it could have been significantly worse. A summer trip in July 1982 with my children turned out to be one step ahead of disaster for hundreds of miles. Of course you Theres a Zen vibe at Harper House Apartments. Bodies were mangled beyond recognition, fingerprints, even footprints, required in some cases for identification. Instead of having these ugly areas behind stores, they turned the focus back toward the rivers. 8:45 p.m.: The heaviest rain begins to fall, as much as a years worth in just an hour or two in many areas. Nothings going to change., The flood forced the change. In Estes Park, the rain, which began in earnest around 6:00 p.m., was slightly more than a bother, less than an alarm. July 15, 1982. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}402751N 1053741W / 40.464065N 105.628077W / 40.464065; -105.628077.

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