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Current Theme: Watershed
Fourmile Canyon Creek

FOURMILE CANYON CREEK 
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Description
Neighborhoods
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Flood Data
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Watershed Address: 
Fourmile Canyon Creek, Boulder Creek, St. Vrain, South Platte, Platte, Missouri, Mississippi, Gulf of Mexico  

Approximate length: 19 Miles 

Description: 
The northern-most tributary of the Boulder Creek Watershed, Fourmile Canyon Creek is easily confused with Fourmile Creek in Four Mile Canyon (which joins Boulder Creek about a mile up Boulder Canyon.) 

Fourmile Canyon Creek begins around the old mining town of Sunshine, descends through the foothills and enters the plains near what is now Lee Hill Road, then proceeding eastward to join Boulder Creek near 63rd Street. 

While there is some water in the creek as it flows through the mountains most of the year, the creek bed may be dry east of the mountains much of the year. Nevertheless, Fourmile Canyon Creek poses a significant flash flood risk for residents of North Boulder, with an anticipated 100 year flood flow of 3,520 cubic feet per second at Broadway. (See Flood Data below)

Also see 1916, 1950, 1951 and 1955 of History of Flash Floods in BASIN History.

Nearby Neighborhoods (upstream to downstream)

  • Dakota
  • Crestview West
  • North 26th
  • Centennial
  • Palo Park
Schools 
  • Shining Mountain Waldorf School
  • Crestview Elementary
  • Centennial Middle School
Flash Flood Data  
Source: FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Association) June 2, 1995 Flood Insurance Study
Flooding Source & Location
(downstream to upstream)
Drainage Area 
(Square Miles) 
         Peak 
Discharge  
    (CubicFt. 
 
per Sec.) 
10-yr 
50-yr 
100-yr
500-yr 
 Confluence w/ Boulder Creek 
10.03 
920 
2,890 
3,960 
8,900 
 Longmont Diagonal 
9.09 
1,050 
2,805 
3,930 
7,600 
 28th Street 
8.60 
1,000 
2,850 
3,920 
8,200 
Broadway 
7.92 
830 
2,530 
3,520 
7,6000 
Upstream Limit of Study 
3.93 
350 
1,170 
1,750 
4,000 

 Note: The city of Boulder has conducted a new flood mapping study of Fourmile Canyon Creek's floodplain after discovering that the official FEMA floodmaps were off by four feet on a section west of Broadway near the mouth of the Canyon.  The result has been that the size of the floodplain was underestimated by about half. The bridge at Broadway is built to handle about half of the flow of a 100 year flood event.

BEYOND BASIN

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Last Page Update - Tuesday December 27, 2005