BOARD00165

• Board Meeting Date: 3/24/2003
• Description: Flood Section - Special Contract Provisions for Montezuma County
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

"

1

.

.

.

STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department ofN atural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

To:
From:

MEMORANDUM

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members l/~'
Larry Lang, P.E., Chief, Flood Protection Section
Joe Busto, Flood Protection Section
March 16, 2003
Agenda Item 19 - March 25-26, 2003 Board Meeting
Special Contract Provisions for Montezuma County

Bill Owens
Governor

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Date:
Re:

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Introduction
The CWCB has received a request from Montezuma County and the Town of Dolores, Colorado in
August 2002. This request is being addressed by the CWCB in cooperation with FEMA. The U.S,
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and ,the CWCB completed a floodplain study in September 1978
for Montezuma County. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the CWCB
prepared a Montezuma County flood insurance study dated May 4, 1989. While this information is 16
years old, it is the best information available to date. The county received a letter from FEMA dated
February 5, 2003 expressing concerns and possible violations of guidelines in the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP), In addition, the CWCB has received requests from interested parties
regarding possible floodplain permitting violations. Montezuma County was given a March 15, 2003
date to come into compliance with the NFIP by FEMA. On March 14,2003, a phone conversation with
Dan Carlson of FEMA revealed that the county had formulated a floodplain development permit
program and had back issued permits for existing structures in the floodplain. Dan Carlson believes that
the county will issue permits for new construction in the floodplain and be in compliance with the NFIP
in the very near future.

Discussion
The CWCB staff completed a field inspection and report on flood hazards in the Dolores River Valley
in Montezuma County in November 2001. In August 2002, the CWCB, FEMA and the USACE toured
the Dolores River Valley, met with thirty concerned citizens, and attended a FEMA Flood Insurance
Study kick off meeting in the Dolores town hall. At that meeting, the Town and County were present
and it was determined that extending the study limits from the Town of Dolores limits westward to the
county line and up the west fork of the Dolores River to the county line would reflect the most recent
developments and be beneficial to their floodplain management program. The CWCB offered to cost
share with Montezuma County for the floodplain mapping of approximately 30 river miles. At the
August 2002 meeting, Sandy Rayl of the USACE spoke to concerns regarding gravel mine operations.
Sandy explained that through the Corps' Section 206 Ecosystem Restoration Program, the gravel mine
concerns could be addressed and turned into wetlands and ponds through reclamation efforts.

Attachments
Letter from Montezuma County to CWCB - matching funding
Letter from Colorado Valley Ecologists to FEMA - Flood impacts
Letter to Montezuma County from FEMA - NFIP Compliance
Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning