11d ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 11/18/2008
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

and the lower terminus is headgate of the Knob Hill Ditch. The ISF reach is approximately 3.9 miles long.
The CWCB agreed to terms and conditions with the Mika Ag Corporation to alleviate their concerns
about this ISF segment.
On September 19, 2008 the Division 4 Water Court decreed an instream flow water right to the CWCB on
Escalante Creek in Case No. OSCW251 for 4 cfs (March 1 -March 31), 82 cfs (April 1 -June 14), 4 cfs
(June 15 -July 31), and 1.5 cfs (August 1 -February 28), with and appropriation date of January 25,
2005. The upper terminus is the confluence of the North Fork Escalante Creek and the lower terminus is
the headgate of the Captain H. A. Smith Ditch. The ISF reach is approximately 6.4 miles long. The
CWCB agreed to terms and conditions with the Mika Ag Corporation to alleviate their concerns about
this ISF segment.
On October 17, 2008 the Division 3 Water Court decreed an instream flow water right to the CWCB on
Alder Creek in Case No. 07CW062 for 1.1 cfs (April 15 -June 30) and 0.5 cfs (July 1 -April 14), with
an appropriation date of January 24, 2007. The upstream terminus is the Forest Service - BLM boundary
and the lower terminus is the headgate of Alder Creek Ditch. The ISF reach is approximately 0.4 miles
long. (Rob Viehl)
CORPS OF ENGINEERS LEVEE INSPECTION UPDATE: Staff from the Watershed
Protection and Flood Mitigation Section have been involved in a series of levee inspections throughout
southern Colorado as part of the Corps' Inspection of Completed Works (ICW) program. This program,
which inspects Corps-built flood control structures that have been turned over to local governments for
maintenance, helps to ensure that the structures continue to provide flood protection and operate as
designed. Although the majority of these structures are levees, some may be considered flumes or dams.
Inspections occurred in Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Alamosa, Trinidad, Las Animas, and Holly. Although
no formal inspection reports have been received as of the date of this report, it is anticipated that all levees
except the Alamosa levee will receive a rating of Minimally Acceptable, allowing them to remain within
the ICW program. Although participation in the ICW program places responsibility for general
maintenance on the local sponsor, the program allows a local sponsor to request repair to the structure by
the Corps in the event of a flood disaster. Although the program is not directly related to FEMA or its
flood maps or flood insurance, an unacceptable rating by the Corps may lead to loss of accreditation for
flood insurance purposes.
During the inspection of the Alamosa levee, significant land use violations were noted. In addition, a
general lack of maintenance was determined by Corps inspectors. Again, the final inspection report has
not been issued at this time, but conversations with the Corps officials indicated that the inspection would
likely result in an Unacceptable rating. If this rating comes to fruition, it will remove the Alamosa levee
from the ICW program until the City addresses deficiencies and requests reinstatement. The levee in
Alamosa was built in the 1990's.
CWCB staff are eager to provide technical and financial assistance, as appropriate, to Alamosa and the
other communities in order to help them address levee deficiencies discovered by the Corp. An agenda
item will be presented at the January meeting outlining the results of these inspections and steps the
CWCB is taking to assist the local governments. (Torn Browning)
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