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~ r watershed master planning study that could address all of the flood issues and the related needs in the river basin. Corps of Ensdneers Letter The January 6, 1998 response letter from the Corps Regulatory Branch directly attacks the credibility of our technical efforts (and those of our USGS counterparts at the Denver Federal Center) and also suggests that the CWCB did not intend to follow the proper permitting procedures of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The letter seriously offends Larry and me, and we feel that it is quite embarrassing to the Floodplain Management Section, the Board, and the State, The Corps did not even attempt to contact us and discuss their issues prior to the release of their letter. The CWCB staff strives to address the State's floodplain issues in a professional and ethical manner, and we have no reason to intentionally falsify flood information or blatantly ignore federal regulations. We also have no reason to believe that our Elk River information is erroneous, but even if it was, the Corps acted unprofessionally and uncooperatively by sending the subject letter. We have made an effort at building a good working relationship with all of the Corps Districts that represent the river basins in Colorado, However, due to the recent letter it now seems we have another example of a bureaucratic federal agency stepping in the wrong cow pie! SUl!l!ested Actions Following are suggested actions that need to be taken in order to rectify the situation: . Write a letter to the Corps' Regulatory Branch office in Grand Junction to explain the CWCB's technical information, sources of data, and mitigation intentions. . Write a letter to the Colonel of the Sacramento District of the Corps to convey our displeasure with the recent actions of the Regulatory Branch and to encourage future cooperative efforts related to Colorado floodplain issues, . Send a copy of the January 6, 1998 subject letter to the Mountain States Legal Foundation and request that they investigate the actions of the Regulatory Branch, I feel that our professional credibility (and the credibility of our USGS counterparts at the Denver Federal Center) has been unnecessarily attacked and slandered by the Corps, Copies of the letter were sent to a number of important people including Representative Jack Taylor and the local officials. We have worked hard to build good working relationships with them, and the actions by the Corps certainly undermine our efforts, our personal integrity, and our professional opinions. . Accept nothing less than a formal apology from the Regulatory Branch for their actions, A written apology to the CWCB should be transmitted to us and to all of the entities that were sent copies ofthe January 6, 1998 subject letter, C:\seca\flood\elk,riv\memo J,J3,doc 2