FLOOD10351

• County: Statewide
• Community: Statewide
• Title: Statewide River Rehabilitation & Flood Plain Management Needs Inventory
• Date: 12/1/1998
• Prepared For: State of Colorado Department of Natural Resources
• Prepared By: McLaughlin Water Engineers
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

activities. A number of Colorado communities have stormwater criteria manuals, which address
hydrology, stream mechanics, environmental, concerns, and project design and implementation.
Many communities expressed a desire for a state model as well.

The results of the CWCB's "Needs Inventory" provided:
1. Four needs categories - Planning, Funding, Public Information, and Policy & Criteria;
2. Basic Hazard Data and requirements for stream rehabilitation and restoration;
3. Problems with existing flood and stormwater drainage programs;
4. Values of Colorado's stream corridors;
5. Funding Mechanisms for flood and drainage projects; and
6. Recommendations for better floodplain management practices, rehabilitation of
Colorado's stream corridors, and flood response activities.

Recommended Implementation Actions - The study recommendations and findings resulting from the
study, which were formulated by the steering committee, CWCB, and McLaughlin Water Engineers are:
· Provide funding for multi-objective planning studies for Colorado's major river basins, stream
rehabilitation analysis for selected stream reaches, and community-based mitigation projects;
· Create a statewide revolving loan fund to enable communities to implement flood protection and
stream rehabilitation projects;
· Establish a statewide wetlands bank;
· Expand the on-going program for floodplain mapping;
· Prepare a statewide model stormwater criteria manual;
· Set minimum criteria for detention of excess runoff from development;
· Prepare an informational brochure on the theme, What's the Floodplain Need and the Value of
Stream Corridors;
· Formulate a legislative strategy for the implementation of the study recommendations and
findings;
· Improve Colorado's flood emergency preparedness and response activities.

A need exists to provide a planning partnership between landowners and local and state government
groups. The programs need to address a funding mechanism to implement watershed planning and
protection project activities. The survey provides recommendations to address the inventoried needs,
development of new program objectives, and loan fund opportunities. These recommendations were
supported by the steering committee.

Executive Summary - 3