Board Meeting 05/03/1985

• Board Meeting Date: 5/3/1985
• Description: Minutes, Agenda, Memorandums May 3, 1985
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

issues in each of these four areas will greatly enhance existing
. flood hazard mitigation efforts .
Critical issues relative to floodplain management include
the need to identify the dam failure inundation zone, the
effectiveness of the National Flood Insurance Program in
Colorado, the demise of funding for the State 's floodplain
mapping program, the lack of a state program to acquire
floodplain lands, and the failure of some Colorado communities to
satisfactorily enforce floodplain regulations.
Critical issues related to geologic hazard management
include identification of mud and debris flow areas, monitoring
of known, potentially catastrophic landslide areas,
underestimation of potential earthquakes to trigger dam failure
or mud and debris flows, and legislation for geologic hazard
management.
Issues relating to dam safety include the problems - of. aging
dams and their rehabilitation; the classification of dams into
high, moderate, and low hazard ratings ; the limited state
resources available to inspect dams on a timely basis ; the
hydrologic criteria used to design dam spillways ; unsafe dams;
and the need for improved dam safety legislation.
In the area of emergency preparedness, critical issues
• relate to the low public awareness of flood hazards; the
importance of community planning to warn and evacuate people who
reside in a potential inundation zone; the need for new or
improved flood warning activity; and the need to better
coordinate mitigation activities of various federal, state,
local, and private agencies.
Recommendations of the Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan
Based upon the critical issues identified above and an
analysis of the flood problems facing Colorado, the mitigation
plan makes recommendations for changes in existing state programs
or development of new programs in the areas of floodplain
management, geologic hazard management, dam safety, and emergency
preparedness. These recommendations are intended to result in
reductions of future flood damages . The majority of the
recommendations were developed by a task force of state agency
personnel after reviewing their own agency programs.
A total of 37 recommendations are set forth in the plan (see
enclosurd summary) . Each recommendation includes a brief
statement of the problem, a general statement of the solution,
ideas for short and long term initiatives , the lead agency and
cooperating agencies if appropriate, and an estimated cost for
implementation.
• MEMORANDUM -3- April 23, 1985