FLOOD10409

• County: Denver
• Community: Cherry Creek
• Stream Name: Cherry Creek
• Title: Press Release - Reps. Tencredo and Hefley Secure Independent Review for Cherry Creek Flood Data
• Date: 7/22/1999
• Prepared For: Public
• Prepared By: Scott Gast
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Correspondence

News from

TOM TANCREDO

Colorado's Sixth District Representative

1123 Longworth House Office Building. Washington, DC 20515. [phone]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 1999

CONTACT: SCOTT GAST
[phone]

REps. TANCREDO & HEFLEY SECURE INDEPENDENT
REVIEW FOR CHERRY CREEK FLOOD DATA

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representatives Tom Tancredo and Joel Hefley announced today that the
House Appropriations Committee will include a provision in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill
report preventing the Army Corps of Engineers from continuing its study of Cherry Creek Dam
improvements until an independent review of the National Weather Service data is conducted.

"I am pleased the mC;;'lbers of the Appropriations Committee have honored our request and will demand a
common-sense study of Cherry Creek's 'Possible Maximum Flood' predictions," said Tancredo. "In a
debate that contains nothing but hypothetical scenarios, it is nice to have one guarantee: no further action
will be taken until the disputed National Weather Service data is independently reviewed."

"1 have always been skeptical of the value of this study," Rep. Hefley said. "I'm glad Congress made the
decision not to waste any more money on it until we have a chance to investigate its validity."

The Appropriations Committee's report to the House included the following language:

"The Committee prohibits the Corps of Engineers from proceeding with the Cherry Creek Basin Study
until the Corps completes an independent peer review of the National Weather Service data in order to
determine the appropriate design flood for the Cherry Creek Basin. The recommendation [of $110
thousand less that the Corps' request} does not include funds requested in the budget for the basin study."

The Corps of Engineers has been pursuing possible structural improvements to the Cherry Creek Dam in
response to flood predictions that the National Weather Service admits are "beyond a one in a million"
possibility. Independent review of the weather service data will be part of a three-year study conducted
by Dr. James Cotton at Colorado State University.

For more information, or to speak with Rep. Tancredo, contact Scott Gast at [phone]. To speak
with Rep. Hefley, contact Leigh LaMora at [phone].

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07/22/99

http://www.house.govltancredol

T:\Press\Releases\cheny creek prohibit.doc