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COLORADO'S AGRICULTURAL EXEMPTIONS COULD AFFECT COUNTY PARTICIPATION IN THE NFIP Colorado was notified on December 19, 1990 that the state's agricultural exemption from building permits (CRS 30-28-205, 1973 Revised) may prevent unincor- porated counties from carrying out the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Should the State Attorney General's Office substantiate this con- cern, the Colorado General Assembly may have to enact legislation this session to prevent suspension of 48 Colorado counties from the NFIP. Under current state statutes, it appears that counties can- not require a building permit in special flood hazard areas for a structure for agricultural purposes. Absence of this authority means the counties cannot enforce the minimum requirements for participation in the NFIP. The consequence of new enabling legislation will require all agriculture structures within designated floodplains to obtain floodplain development permits. Unless legislation is passed removing the exemption of agricultural structures from county floodplain manage- ment regulations, 48 of Colorado's NFlP participating counties will face suspension from the NFIP. Suspen- sion will impact the counties as follows: Flood insurance will not be available. Federal agencies may not provide grants or loans for buildings in identified special flood hazard areas of com- munities not participating in the NFIP. No federal mortgage insurance may be provided in iden- tified flood hazard areas, and In the event of federally declared flood disaster. no federal disaster assistance would be available. FEMA is presently undertaking such action against the State of Missouri which has until March 4,1991 to adopt amending legislation or its counties will face suspension from the NFIP. "FLOOD STAGE" SURVEY RESULTS In September 1990. the CWCB requested ideas from our readers, by survey. as to how to enhance our "FLOOD STAGE" newsletter. The results of the survey are as follows: The specific types of articles readers would like: -Floodplain management 26% -Local drainage and flood control 19% -Floodplain regulations 12% -Flood hazard mitigation 14% -Floodplain mapping engineering 12% -Unique hazards 7% -Flood warning systems 5% -Flood insurance 5% More federal/state assistance is required by local governments for: -Assistance in the NFIP map revision process 37% -Providing flood insurance coverage and rate information 18% -Determination of flood hazard risks in unidentified flood hazard 17% -Determination of base flood elevations 15% -Determination of NFIP mapping data 13% Local support of the community's floodplain management is: -About the same 58% -Improving 23% -Worsening 19% My community's most frequent question regarding floodplain management is: . -Am I in the roO-year floodplain? 1ST -What is the flood elevation on my property? 2NlJ -Why do I have to buy flood insurance when my neighbors don't? 3RD -How much is this going to cost? 4TH -Why can't I build in this area? 5TH -Can the city and county maps be consolidated? 6TH DA VID WALKER NAMED DIRECTOR OF THE COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD The Colorado Water Conservation Board, the state's primary water planning and development agency, has an- nounced its appointment of David W. Walker as its new director. Walker replaces Bill McDonald. "The '90s will be a critical-and increasingly tontentious- -time for all of us involved in water resources in Colorado," Walker said. The Colorado Water Conservation Board studies .proposed waterprojects and recommends projects to the General Assembly for funding through the board's Con- struction Fund; helps plan and develop water-storage and flood control projects for federal and state authorization; approves ,floodplain delineations to guide local govern- ments in floodplain zoning; assists local governments it the implementation of the National Flood Insurance Pro- gram; obtains and holds water righ ts for instream flows and lake levels on behalf of the people of Colorado; manages state water policies and represents the state's