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CWCB Prepares for Potential Snowmelt Flooding March 2008 The CWCB Watershed Protection and Flood Mitigation Section are taking action to prepare for potential snowmelt flooding later this spring as a result of high snowpack in Colorado thus far. While it is too early in the season to forecast basin-specific flooding, many activities are already taking place, and our program will perform as follows: 1. The CWCB will Chair a Flood Task Force Meeting on March 17th (and several meetings thereafter during the flood season) to assemble appropriate experts, gather critical data, and disseminate flood related information. 2. Daily Flood Threat Bulletins, prepared by a qualified meteorologist under contract to the CWCB, will be posted to our website beginning May 1 st and continuing throughout the flood season. This service was highly utilized in past years and we have received excellent feedback on its usefulness. As you know, the peak of snowmelt runoff rarely, if ever, occurs before May 1 st in Colorado, but staff is already monitoring snowpack conditions on a daily basis. 3 . Weekly mass email updates will be transmitted to local officials and other interested parties during critical times of flooding or potential flooding. 4. Announcements, links, and key flood tips are already posted on our website. This includes the need for homeowners to purchase flood insurance policies well in advance of actual flooding. There is a mandatory 30-day waiting period for flood insurance policies to go into effect once they are written. 5. The annual spring flood news release will be prepared and distributed by CWCB staff once the March 1 st snowpack information becomes available. 6. Community Assistance Visits are already scheduled in several key areas of the state to address floodplain ordinances, permits, mapping, and insurance questions. In addition, flood insurance workshops are already being organized and conducted in various regions of the state based on requests from local officials. 7. Coordination with FEMA occurs on a regular basis, and one of our staff members will be designated as the State Flood Mitigation Officer in the event of a Presidentially declared flood disaster. Also, the CWCB Flood Response Fund is established and ready to go in the event that flood documentation, technical assistance, and data are needed to support local and federal efforts. 8. Several federal and state grants are available to communities on an annual basis for disaster mitigation assistance, and our staff is available to assist potential applicants with the process. 9. Coordination with the Director and staff of the Colorado Division of Emergency Management is already happening, and further coordination with county and local emergency managers will occur as appropriate.