Colorado Water Conservation Board Flood Protection Program

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CWCB Flood Protection Program Work Plan FY 2003 -2004 Revised January 13, 2004 Program Description The Flood Protection Program is designed to minimize Colorado's vulnerability to flood losses and related economic impacts. This program is responsible for 1) designation of floodplains, 2) identification of floodplains, 3) preparation for and emergency response to flood events, 4) recover from and mitigate Flood Hazards, 5) partnering with Federal, State and Local Entities for the development of flood protection plans and related projects, 6) performance of statewide outreach and education activities, 7) making technical information serviceable and 8) administrator the State's winter weather modification program. Flood Protection was acknowledged in 1937 with the creation of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. In general, CWCB's flood protection program exists to identify flood hazards, designate 100- year floodplains, build flood protection projects, respond to flood - related events, direct federal -state flood programs, restore the state's waterways and floodplains and administrator the State's weather modification program. The CWCB is the only state agency that has the authority to designate a 100- year floodplain on any river basin located within the State of Colorado. "Flood Control & Floodplain Management Program" was the Section's recognized title in the Board's 1995 Long -Range Plan. The Flood Protection (Flood) Section's mission statement is as follows: "The Flood Section exists to prevent flood damages, reduce Colorado's vulnerability to property damages and loss of life, monitor the state's weather modification activities, and to scope and formulate workable mitigation packages for Colorado flood control and stormwater drainage and waterway restoration projects. Objectives for the Flood Protection Program I. Floodplain Designation: Produce and review updates and revisions to current mapping for CWCB and local governments to designate floodplains, using state -of -the -art technologies whenever possible such as GIS, GPS, digital floodplain delineation, LIDAR, and two- dimensional hydraulic modeling.. II. Floodplain Identification: Produce and review floodplain studies to identify floodplains and clarify flood - related issues for CWCB and other state, federal, and local entities. III. Prepare for and Respond to Flood Events: Prepare for and respond to flood events including conducting field and technical activities (i.e. documentation of the flood and providing technical guidance and support) in response to significant floods in Colorado. Staff the CWCB mitigation officer position during declared disasters. IV. Recover from and Mitigate Flood Hazards: Provide technical services to support recovery from and mitigation to flood and flood hazards. Includes providing post -flood technical guidance for immediate and future decision making under emergency conditions (including providing GPS, survey, and technical support) to aid the State and its citizens. V. Partnerships with Federal, State, and Local Entities: Participate in partnering with federal, state, and local entities for the management, marketing, and administration of flood and flood related programs.