Bear Creek Basin, South Platte River and Tributaries, Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska

Home Browse Search

ENGCW -PD SUBJECT: Bear Creek Basin, South Platte River and Tributaries, Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska maintenance, and replacements. Subsequent to completion of the District and Division Engineers' reports, the Colorado Highway Department has decided that it may need to proceed with construction of the uncompleted segment of Colorado Highway No. 70 because of the urgent need for this highway improvement. In the interest of a substantial savings in public funds, it has decided to construct the highway along the alternate route outside the reservoir area. The Board recommends that the Chief of Engineers be authorized to reimburse the Highway Department for the added costs of relocating the highway even though construction of the highway may be initiated prior to authorization of the dam and reservoir project. The Board also believes that responsible local interests should be required to hold and save the United States free from damages due to water - rights claims resulting from construction and operation of the project; ade- quately inform all affected interests, at least annually, that the project will not provide complete flood protection; and, provide guidance and leadership in preventing unwise and uneconomical future development of the flood plain areas by encouraging prudent use of flood proofing, land regulation planning, or other flood plain management techniques to reduce future flood losses. The Board recommends authorization for construction and operation of the dam and reservoir, essentially as planned by the District Engineer as subsequently modified, subject to certain conditions of local coop- eration, including those added by the Board and stated in the fore- going. 6. I concur in the views and recommendations of the Board. WILLIAM F. CASSIDY Lieutenant General, USA Chief of Engineers 3