BOARD00088

• Board Meeting Date: 5/19/2003
• Description: Flood Section - 2003 Spring and Summer Work Priorities
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Issues: The CWCB staff chairs the Cherry Creek Dam Safety Advisory Committee. The committee
provides the project oversight for the technical review for the Cherry Creek Probable Maximum
Precipitation (pMP) Study conducted by the National Weather Service under contract to the Corps of
Engineers. There has been much interest and controversy regarding the Cherry Creek PMP following
the Corps of Engineers July 21, 1999 public hearings for their Cherry Creek Dam Safety Study
fmdings. The Colorado General Assembly enacted Senate Joint Resolution 99-023 concerning an
independent peer review of the Federal National Weather Service Probable Maximum Precipitation
Study. The Colorado Water Conservation Board in cooperation with Douglas and Arapahoe Counties,
the City of Greenwood Village, and the City of Aurora, Colorado has responded to this resolution by
contracting with Applied Weather Associates (AWA) to conduct a technical review of the Cherry
Creek PMP Study and a regional site specific analysis for the PMP.

Actions: A draft final report has been prepared by A W A and is under a review by the Corps of
Engineers, NWS and Advisory Committee. In addition, communications are underway with the
Colorado congressional representatives regarding the technical review findings by A W A and possible
renewal of Corps funding for a PMP and PMF restudy by the Corps of Engineers.

Item 23c.
Issues: The CWCB staff Memorandum outlines six critical issues for the implementation of
Colorado's Map Modernization Plan. Congress has approved $150 million for the FY'03 floodplain
mapping nationwide. Note: Issue five provides communities that did not make it into the "Top 16" in
the 2002 assessment an opportunity to discuss their mapping needs with the CWCB staff. .

Actions: The CWCB staff are working with the sixteen highest priority counties and their
communities regarding floodplain-mapping projects and plans. In addition, the Board has selected a
consultant to perfonn temporary mapping coordinator duties and complete a pilot study fOr the
preparation of a digital floodplain map fonnat in portions of Douglas and Teller counties. This study is
designed to develop a GIS framework to be used statewide for the state's mapping program. The
Colorado Map Modernization Implementation Plan' (MMIP) is moving forward and the plan
implementation is happening!

Item 23d.
Issues: Drought - Fires - Floods! In 2002, Colorado experienced a 300-year drought over much of
the state. Colorado witnessed 2,031 wildfires, which burned a total of 501,686 acres. Colorado
experienced flood events in a number of these bum areas including Douglas, La Plata and Garfield
Counties. On September 30, 2002, Governor Owens signed Executive Order D 025 02 "Concerning
the Threat of Flooding in Areas Affected by Recent Wildfires".

Actions: In response the wildfire events, the federal and state agencies have implemented programs
and activities to address hazard identification, recovery and flood preparedness needs of the affected
areas. The CWCB staff are active members of the Post-Wildfire Hazard Interagency Group (Group)
led by FEMA and CWCB and the Wild Fires Multi Agency Restoration and Rehabilitation Team
(MRRT) led by DNR. Flood hazard mapping and debris flow studies are in-progress for the
Missionary Ridge and Coal Seam areas and flood maps are available now for the Hayman areas. In .
addition to the federal mapping efforts, the CWCB staff is implementing the Board's "Flood Response
Program" for a number of projects.
Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Financing. Stream and Lake Protection 2
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning