University History - 1997 Flood

Library Wall and Foundation Explode

Published July 2007

Named for former CSU president William E. Morgan, the thirty-two-year-old library building was undergoing a long-awaited remodeling.

Photo of hole in the west foundation of Morgan Library

Hole in the west foundation of Morgan Library where water burst into the lower level of the building.

As early as 1970, burgeoning enrollments and the need to find adequate storage space for collections had caused Director LeMoyne Anderson to recommend a major addition. Instead, fiscal constraints dictated that collections be dispersed to makeshift branch libraries or storage warehouses.

By the early 1990s, the library had become CSU’s number one capital construction priority, and in 1994 an unanticipated state government budget surplus presented a singular opportunity. Energetic lobbying convinced the legislature to earmark $13 million for library remodeling and CSU raised an additional $7 million from other sources including alumni and friends of the university.

100-year flood standard exceeded

Morgan Library’s, original, rectangular L-shaped configuration, albeit highly -functional, now seemed awkward. Therefore, as planning for a new building unfolded, aesthetics vied with practical considerations. The gently curving three-story west wing would included dozens of tall windows on all levels to maximize spectacular views of the foothills and Long’s Peak.

Unfortunately, the design maximizing natural light, so important to the remodeled building’s aesthetic appeal, would have disastrous ramifications as a virtual tidal wave advanced from the northwest. Although construction elevations for the renovated structure’s west side had been established slightly higher than the 100-year flood standards set for the original library, the approaching menace vastly exceeded that margin. Rows of basement windows at the bottom of an embankment, which sloped downward from the parking lot, would quickly mutate into an irresistible vortex.

Photo of books damaged by flood water

Morgan Library materials damaged as water rushed through the building.


Sound of collapsing foundation

Shortly after 10 p.m. custodial supervisor Ken McCandless, noticed leaks both in the roof where old and new sections of the remodeled library joined and in the basement. He instructed custodians Kevin Creeden and Mary Tate to go downstairs with shop vacs and control the seepage. They had barely begun, however, when the groaning sound of a foundation collapsing interrupted their efforts.

Suddenly portions the west wall and foundation exploded, and the workers raced for the stairs and their lives. Water shattered windows, blew gapping holes through walls, and smashed into packed basement shelves where 425,000 volumes had been recently been placed. As shelving toppled, books and bound journals were spun about in a muddy torrent that rose to 8 feet from the bottom floor.

More about the flood

Historical accounts in this series of articles, were compiled and edited from Democracy's University - A History of Colorado State University 1970-2003, written by James E. Hansen II (University Press of Colorado, 2007).

To order a book, call (970) 491-6198, e-mail Resource.Center@ucm.colostate.edu or visit 115 General Services Building on Colorado State’s main campus. Cost is $27, not including tax or shipping. The books are also available at the CSU Bookstore in the Lory Student Center.