The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control said Saturday that evacuations have been ordered along Vallecito Creek and north of Vallecito Lake due to a levee breach and flooding. Areas of the San Juan River north of Pagosa Springs are also flooded, as well as the South Fork of the Rio Grande.
Heavy rainfall in southwest Colorado is causing flooding in some areas. Overnight rain has bumped up Vallecito Creek to 1920 ft at 6:00 am.
A video provided by High Altitude Pagosa shows Vallecito Creek washing away trees along the bank.
At 10:08 a.m., the Upper Pine River Fire Protection announced an immediate evacuation of the homes on West Vallecito Creek Drive. They said the levee has breaches on the west side of the creek.
In an update Saturday afternoon, the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office said Vallecito Creek and Grimes Creek north of Vallecito Lake have breached their banks. Over 350 homes north of the lake have been evacuated. An evacuation map is available here.
A check-in location for evacuees has been opened at Bayfield High School, and the emergency call center is open for questions and requests for assistance at (970) 385-8700. Another 1-2 inches of rain is expected to fall in the area.
The fire protection district urged everyone in the evacuation zone to leave immediately, stating that many who refused now need to be rescued.
“It is important you evacuate the North End of Vallecito. We are working to keep debris from taking out the bridge at Grimes and Vallecito Creek. Blue Spruce RV is also being sandbagged and we have crews there,” the district said. “THIS WILL NOT PEAK until 8:00 PM. Volunteers are sandbagging at Upper Pine Station 1. Many who refused to evacuate are now in need of rescue. Important to get out now to Bayfield High School. This water is fast moving filled with debris and hazardous materials.”
Road closures include east of Vallecito Creek Drive, Tucker Lane, Mountain View Drive, Scenic Drive, West Vallecito Creek, Ponderosa Drive and Faith Lane.
Wolf Creek Pass and Pagosa Street in downtown Pagosa Springs are also closed due to flooding.
Chris Mott 
Officials in La Plata County are offering free sandbags due to heavy rains expected in the area over the weekend. The sandbags will be available at three locations:
- The north side of the arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds and Event Center, located at 2500 Main Avenue in Durango
- The Upper Pine Fire Protection District Station 1, located at 75 South Clover Drive in Bayfield
- The Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Protection District Station, located at 164 County Road 130 in Hesperus
A flood watch is in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday.
Rockslides, mudslides and flooding have been reported along several highways in southwest and south-central Colorado. Please drive with caution. Do not drive through areas where water covers the roadway.
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