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including a 19,000 square -mile segment of northeastern Colorado. <br />The Corps of Engineers' interest in the South Platte River has been <br />focused on the Colorado portion of the basin simply because.most of the <br />basin's flood and related water problems originat there. Our studies <br />of the basin span a period of 40 years, beginning with the venerable <br />"308 Report. "` <br />However, our first measure of success in solving the basin's - flood <br />problems took shape in 19+3 when we began construction of Cherry Creek` <br />Damo - Twelve years after its completion in 1953 this project performed <br />with spectacular success during the June 1965 flood which swept through <br />a major portion of metropolitan Denver. Since you are familiar with the <br />details of that event, I will not comment on it further except to make <br />the observation that it was not until the 1965 flood that people of <br />Denver were convinced of the value of Cherry Creek Dam. Representing <br />an investment of about $15,000,000, this project prevented about <br />$130,000,006 in damages during the 1965 flood, an event which caused <br />damages than $325,000,000 here in metropolitan Denver and con- <br />vinced people of the need for Chatfield "Dam. <br />CHATFIELD DAM. <br />If it had been in place in 1965, Chatfield Dam and Reservoir would <br />have spared Denver the destruction to which'it was subjected. This pro - <br />ject was - authorized by the 1950 Flood Control Act. Denver was enjoying <br />a postwar economic expansion at that time; her population had increased <br />by 1.55,0©0 between 1940 and 1950, and these newcomers spilled out into <br />the fast- growing suburbs of the city. This time of growth was also a <br />2 <br />