March 4 2008 Snowmelt Preparation E-Mail (2)

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March 4, 2008 CWCB Snowmelt Flood Preparation Status Update The 2008 flood season is approaching Colorado, and much attention has been placed on the quantity of snowpack within the state. Although floods can occur any time of the year in Colorado, the height of stth flood season generally occurs from May 1 through September 30. Preparations have already been started to address the high snowpack present in the Colorado mountains. Since the beginning of the calendar year, the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Watershed Protection and Flood Mitigation Section has been monitoring snowpack throughout the state. GIS- based maps have been prepared showing the areal extent of the snowpack as well as percent of historical averages at various points. These maps have been prepared for all major river basins and have been posted to the CWCB website. Tables have been prepared that summarize the areas of highest risk. As of March 3rd, the watersheds of largest concern are in the Rio Grande Basin, the San Miguel/Dolores/Animas/San Juan River Basins, the Arkansas River Basin, the Upper Colorado River Basin, and the Gunnison River Basin. As rd of March 3, each of these entire river basins show snowpack greater than 129% of average, with individual readings as high as 225% at localized levels. Certain watersheds in the South Platte River Basin, North Platte River Basin, and Yampa/White River Basins also exceed 130%, although these watersheds as a whole are displaying values closer to historical averages. The first meeting of the Colorado Flood Task Force has been scheduled for March 17, 2008. This meeting, chaired by the Colorado Water Conservation Board, assembles engineers, meteorologists, local officials, emergency management officials, and other interested parties to exchange data and discuss plans for the upcoming flood season. It is anticipated that much attention at this meeting will focus on what, if any, actions are needed to address the upcoming snowmelt season, which can run any time from late April to late June, depending on weather conditions. Any interested parties are encouraged to attend this meeting. A Spring Flood News Release has been prepared and distributed by the CWCB outlining the availability of flood insurance. Special note should be made of the 30-day waiting period before the insurance becomes effective. A number of meetings and workshops have already been scheduled throughout the state, and more are being considered at the request of local communities. These workshops will focus on emergency preparedness and flood insurance. As this calendar is continually being updated, any interested parties should contact the CWCB at 303-866-3441 for a current list of scheduled meetings. Four attachments are included to provide additional facts regarding background information, current geographic areas of concern, actions being taken at all levels, and Colorado flood history.