And the West is History: Flood in Animas Valley – 1970

The Animas River usually achieves its peak annual flow in early June. The average crest is 4,700 cubic feet per second. Two of the three highest peak flows, however, occurred in September and October. The October 1911 flood saw the river reach 25,000 cfs and the Sept. 6, 1970, flood, shown here, reached 14,000 cfs. The June 1927 flood reached 20,000 cfs. This 1970 flood started with heavy rain in the mountains around Silverton late on Sept. 5. High water from Mineral Creek severed a waterline, cutting off the water supply to Silverton. U.S. Highway 550 North was intermittently closed because of high water and mudslides. Over two miles of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad was washed out, closing the railroad for the remainder of the season. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org (Catalog Number: 23.09.68 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)