The Pueblo Flood and Levee ConstructionMain MenuIntroductionThe Flood of 1921Levee LocationLevee ConstructionA media gallery of the Levee's Construction.Bibliography and Special ThanksAlexander J Moore534d3d5224d8b5830fb6e191d6df60cc22362a04The Pueblo History Project
1921 Flood Map, Rawlings Library, PCCLD
1media/Flood Map_thumb.png2022-03-18T09:43:11-07:00Alexander J Moore534d3d5224d8b5830fb6e191d6df60cc22362a04403162This an early pueblo map that had the flood path drawn over it to better account for what areas were affected. plain2022-04-01T12:08:23-07:00Alexander J Moore534d3d5224d8b5830fb6e191d6df60cc22362a04
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1media/Flood Map.png2022-04-01T11:02:54-07:00The Flood of 192116plain2022-04-07T20:57:17-07:00
Before the levee construction, Central Pueblo was prone to flooding. The worst of many floods came in early June 1921 when rain along the Front Range caused flooding in excess of 24 feet in some areas. The flood affected around 300 square miles of mostly homes and businesses. Around 700 buildings were completely washed away along a considerable amount of railroad property - the Union Depot was located just a few blocks from the Arkansas' bank.
The actual death toll of the flood is often difficult to track down. Some estimates put the number as high as 250 while others have estimated as low as 78; equally concerning was the missing persons list which was over 500 people long. Perhaps more importantly was the effect that the flood had on the future of Pueblo. Following the flood, the town government was inundated with debts which weren't paid back until decades later. Some of the money borrowed after the flood went towards building a system to protect Pueblo from possible future flooding.
This map is a hand drawn approximation of the areas that were damaged by the Flood in 1921. Of course, the damaged areas were closest to the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek, the two bodies of water that run through Pueblo.
