FLOOD10331

• County: Weld
• Community: Wattenberg
• Stream Name: South Platte River
• Title: Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan, Wattenberg, Weld County, Colorado
• Date: 8/1/1996
• Prepared For: Wattenberg
• Prepared By: Kistner and Associates
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Mitigation/Flood Warning/Watershed Restoration

W A lTENBERG, COLORADO FLOOD HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN

AUGUST1996

T ABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .................................................1

Purpose of Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Scope of Study. . . . . " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Wattenberg Flood Vulnerability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Wattenberg Setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Community Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Geographical Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1995 Flood Event. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Damage Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

River and Flood Characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
South Platte Basin and Stream Characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
What is a 100- Year Flood Event? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Types of Floods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Flood History of Wattenberg and Weld County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 6

Planning and Zoning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Weld County Planning Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Authority to Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Weld County Zoning Ordinances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Flood Hazard Mitigation Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Flood Protection Measures to Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The National Flood Insurance Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Wattenberg and Weld County Flood Mitigation
Action Plan Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13

Appendix 1: Flood Hazard Development Permit Procedure. . . . . . . . . . .15

Appendix 2: Spotter Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 16