Board Meeting 03/29/1999

• Board Meeting Date: 3/29/1999
• Description: Flood Section - Floodplain Designation and Approvals
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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ATTACIlMENT 7

FPR 99-488
Flood Insurance Study, City of Loveland, Colorado, dated March 23, 1999.

KEY ISSUES:
. The FrS contains detailed information for the Big Thompson River, and approximate information for
Lake Loveland. The Big Thompson River floodplain information was revised from the previous FrS
based on a Letter of Map Revision that was issued by FEMA for a reach of the River within the
community.

· The stream stationing and the water surface elevations in the Loveland FrS are inconsistent with the
stream stationing and the water surface elevatioIls in the Larimer County FrS; in addition, there are
inconsistencies between the two FIS' and the City of Loveland's own floodplain study prepared by a
private consultmt.

· The floodplain delineations shown in the Loveland FIS are accurate as an approximate representation of
the Big Thompson River floodplain.

· The FrS does not show the current corporate limits of the City of Loveland correctly.

· The CWCB staff believes that the 1999 Larimer County FrS should be treated as detailed floodplain
information but that the Loveland FrS should be treated as approximate information.

· The CWCB staff believes that the CWCB, Larimer County and the City of Loveland should meet to
develop a plan for resolving all of the inconsistencies in the floodplain delineations and flood
elevations for the Big Thompson River in and around Loveland and then work with FEMA to
incorporate the appropriate into an FrS for each entity

COMMUNITY RESPONSE:
The City of Loveland sent a letter requesting CWCB designation and approval of the 1999
FIS. CWCB staff discussed the designation with the City's Floodplain Administrator via
telephone conversations. The City is supporlive of the Board's proposed designation and
approval ofthe 1999 FIS.

SUMMARY:
The staff recommends Board approval of the floodplain resolution for Loveland. The floodplain
information contained in the 1999 FIS will be designated as approximate due to publishing and
technical errors, even though FEMA intended for it to be detailed. The FIS meets the Board's
"Floodplain Designation and Approval Rules" for approximate floodplain information. The
resolution will assure that the city's most current floodplain information complies with state
statuto!)' requirements. The staff will pursue with the City of Loveland and Larimer County a plan
for addressing the remaining inconsistencies in floodplain mapping of the Big Thompson River.

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