Here's another installment in the story of the Big Thompson Flood from the The Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald. They write, "A year's worth of rain in about four hours caused what is normally a year's worth of deaths nationally from flooding in one night.
But what is even more striking about the July 31, 1976, disaster is how community members and leaders applied their creativity to rebuild the Big Thompson Canyon. Long after the helicopters left, the water subsided and crews picked up the major debris, those involved forged ahead. It took years before officials rebuilt the highway, water distribution systems, bridges and the city's hydroelectric plant. Still today, the county is working to sort out future ownership and maintenance on some of the properties hit hardest by the flood...
"For some, the cleanup and rebuilding effort reverberates even today. Larimer County still is sorting through how to sell or maintain the 153 canyon parcels it bought in the flood's wake, said Gary Buffington, county parks and open lands director. In 1978, the county purchased properties that a board determined were not buildable, using $1.7 million in National Park Service conservation funds. Since then, some parcels were consolidated and turned into four canyon parks: The Narrows, Sleepy Hollow, The Forks and Glade Park. Now, the county is considering using six sites as recreational pull-offs and selling about 60 lots. Current and former canyon residents would get the first pick, Buffington said."
Category: Colorado Water
5:29:16 AM 
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