BOARD00391

• Board Meeting Date: 5/23/2005
• Description: Flood Section - Floodplain Rules and Regulations Opportunity for Board and Public Comment
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO
· Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:
FROM:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
Larry Lang, Chief, Flood Protection Program
Tom Browning, Flood Protection Program
May 11, 2005
Agenda Item 11
Flood Protection - Floodplain Rules and Regulations
Opportunity'for Board and Public Comment

Russell George
Executive Director

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

DATE:
RE:

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Rick Brown _
Acting Deputy
Director

Introduction
The CWCB received its flood protection responsibilities in 1937, and its initial authority to review, designate, and
approve floodplains in 1966. In support of the floodplain designation process, the CWCB conducted rulemaking
. during late 1987 and early 1988 in order to promulgate rules and regulations entitled "Rules and Regulations for the
Designation and Approval of Floodplains and of Storm and Floodwater Runoff Channels in Colorado." (1988 Rules
and Regulations) The 1988 Rules and Regulations have served the Board very well over the years. Colorado
entities and their stndy contractors have understood the need to comply with these Floodplain Rules for use on
floodplain studies in order to receive Board approval.

Back\!round
CWCB staff, consulting engineers, floodplain managers and other interested parties have realized the need to revise
the 1988 Rules and Regulations due to a number of factors that have materialized since 1988. Those factors
include such things as changes in federal policies and mandates; technological advances in modeling techniques,
GIS, and digital mapping; and flood related issues such as debris flows, erosion hazards, alluvial fan hazards, post-
wildfire hydrology, stormwater detention, and ice jam flooding that were previously not addressed.

Discussion
The CWCB Operating Principles (presented to the Board at the July 2004 CWCB meeting in Delta) served as
objectives and guiding language for the preparation of the amended rules and regulations, newly entitled "Rules and
Regulatlons for Regulatory Floodplains in Colorado" (Amended Floodplain Rules). The Amended Floodplain
Rules will provide the necessary changes to keep them in line with the current industry standards and guidelines.
This will also provide Colorado communities with better and more accurate information related to regulatory
floodplains, along with sound floodplain management practices.

.

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Flood Protection. Wate! Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning