Report on flood in Meadow Valley Wash, March 3rd to 5th inclusive, March 12, 1938

Improvements Flood Control Weils Riding Camp P-206 Meadow Valley Wash Logandale, Nevada Nevada March 12, i938 REPORT ON FLOOD IN MEADOW VALLEY WASH. MARCH 3rd TO 5th INCLUSIVE The flood that came down the Meadow Valley Wash, lasting from March 3rd to 5th inclusive, was probably as large as any that has ever visited that section of the country. The flood water at Caliente reached an all time high mark and the Union Pacific railroad bed was washed out in places at Elgin, Nevada, after it had been moved to higher ground after the flood of 1910. When the flood waters coming down the Meadow Valley Wash reached the large flood control dam across the wash above Glendale they washed out a levee on the east side of the channel which had been thrown up to prevent the water from coming down over the area where flood control works were under construction. The stream was divided at this point and part went through a cut in the west end of the main dam and down the old flood channel. The re-mainder of the water went to the east of the old flood channel and covered the flood control works that were under construction. The cut on the west end of the dam was washed so that its present width is 108 feet. It is 22 feet deep from the top of the dam to the deepest point of the channel. The water lacked 2-1/2 feet from topping the main dam but did not leak at the south toe as was the case during the flood in the spring of 1937. It is apparent that the stream was about equally divided at the dam which had the effect of spreading the peak of the flood over a greater length of time and also cutting down this peak. If the stream had not been divided its destructiveness to our flood control works at Wells Riding. The water was three feet deep over the 510 foot check No. 1 near the dam and totaled 6120 second feet. The old part of the levee between check No. 1 and the main dam was washed out in places for a distance of 500 feet. This cut down the volume of water that finally passed over check No. 1. The levees with slopes of a minimum of 6 to 1 which were built at the time of putting in this check are intact. At the check there was a slight washing on the upstream side of the planks. The Same is true at checks Nos. 2 and 3. However, no damage was done above the checks. Practically no washing was done immediately below the checks. The bursh was not washed away. The water that passed through check No. 1 also passed over check No. 2 without doing any damage. At the junction of the east-west levees, on the west end of check No. 2, with the north-south levee, the water reached within 2.2 feet of the top of the levee. The water built ahead higher than normal due to the sudden change in direction of the flow of the stream. The water that broke the levee above check No. 1 went directly into pocket No.l and filled it. The water in the pocket was eight feet deep at the south levee. At this depth the levee was topped ana was washed out for a consid-erable distance at the junction with the old north-south levee. The north-south levee was broken in two places at this point and water ran into old flood channel. The water which was released from pocket No. 1 went directly to check No. 3 and the levee on its west end was topped. However, little damage was done. The water was diverted over The check and passed down over the flood plain and caught in pocket No. 2. Here again the levee was topped due to the peak from the impounded water from above. The old north-south levee on the west side of the pocket was topped for a distance of 375 feet, and an opening 30 feet and 6 feet deep was cut. The levee on the south side of the pocket was badly washed out for 500 feet. The levee on the east side of the pocket was also topped but no damage was done there. Before pocket No. 2 went out the water was being diverted through the openings at the sites of checks Nos. 4, 5, and 6. No damage was done at these points or to the flood plain. However, at check No. 6 the machinery consisting of some trucks, a pile driver, and tractors were caught in the flood. Due to the suddenness of the flood after breaking the levee at the main dam, it was impossible to move this equipment before the flood water arrived. There was no damage or loss to the equip-ment. It is now being cleaned of silt and sand before put into operation again. The garage collapsed and some drums and planks were carried into the flat a short distance below. They are now being recovered. The flood water from pocket No. 2 went directly to the levee at check No. 7. The 5 foot trench along the row of rails was partly filled with mud. The planks were not in place at this check. The west levee at this check was also topped. There was no damage done. At check No. 8 the levees held the water and no damage was done. The 5 foot trench along the line of piles was partly filled as at check No. 7. The north-south (old) levee south of check No. 8 leaked some through squirrel holes but did not go out. When the flood reached the levees near the spillway the north levee of the two east-west levees that provide the channel to carry the water to the spillway was washed out in four places. This was due to squirrel holes in the levees. The water lacked three feet in topping them. The south levee of this channel is intact. The water went over the north levee immediately at the north wing wall of the spillway but did no damage, water passing over the spillway was 3*9 feet deep. It did practically no damage to the spillway. The forms on the south wing wall were damage some and some of the steel was bent. Some water passed over this wall. which was only seven feet in height. The equipment consisting of a compressor and concrete mixer had been removed before the flood arrived. The small pump and some water pipe for pumping water from the creek were in the flood but were not lost. The flood water reached the Wells hiding flood control works during the morning of March 3 and the peak arrived late in the afternoon. The water was very muddy and black. It steadily increased in volume and depth until the main dam across the Muddy River was almost topped. The water came within ten inches of the top of the dam at the south end. The dam leaked at the toe in about twenty places and the toe slumped. The cat walk to the control gate was washed away. The water went over the six foot walls of the spillway at the dam and covered the top of the stanchions used to raise and lower the triple gates which control the water flow into the canal for the Bowman Dam. Measure-ments at the 100-foot channel on the north end of the main dam showed that the water was 9.8 feet deep as it passed through this channel and totalled 10,090 second feet. The peak lasted approximately 4. hours. The water washed away the covering down to the solid rock on the east side of the 80 foot spill-way. Channel No. 1 immediately east of the gates carried 1636 second feet of water. Its banks were overflowed at a point about midway between the gates and levee No. 1. Levee No. 1 was almost topped and sand bags were piled on its top to prevent the water from going over. It settled some as shown by settlement cracks but did not leak. Levee No. 2 also showed settlement cracks and leaked in 2 places but no damage was done. Sand bags were piled three deep on its top to prevent the water from topping it. However, it held and is intact. The water almost went over the banks at the highway bridge. Measurements at the bridge showed that the water at that point averaged five and one-half feet deep across a 57 foot channel. Levees 3 and 4 were not damaged. The water poured into the Bowman Reservoir for about 36 hours and came within 3.7 feet of topping the dam. Brush, trees and other debris closed the triple gates at the spillway so they could not be closed. Most of the water passing through the gates was finally stopped from going into the reservoir by filling in front of the gates with sand bags. The stilling pool on the lower side of the dam is being completed and soon the water will be flowing through the twelve inch pipe to be used for irrigation. The water level of the Reservoir dropped one foot in five days. The flood water washed and enlarged the flood channel in the valley south of the Wells Siding project. The highway bridge north of i*ogandale was made impassible. The approaches at both ends were badly washed and the channel was deepened from 8 to 12 feet. Sand bags were piled on the west banks of the flood channel to prevent the CCC Camp at Wells Riding from being flooded. The farms below were flooded, as was the town of Logandale. The early gardening was damaged some. I t is the concensus of of opinion of the people in Moapa Valley and also the Forest Overhead at the CCC Camp at Wells Siding that the flood control works were instrumental in confining the water and preventing a great amount of damage to the farms and homes in the Valley. Much credit can be given to the CCC boys who worked day and night to control the flood water. Out of it all comes the unmistakable lesson that the flood control works must be enlarged and strengthened if they are to handle such floods in the future. James Griswold Camp Superintendent