BOARD00500

• Board Meeting Date: 11/22/1999
• Description: CF Section - Non-Reimbursable Projects - Fountain Creek Watershed Forum
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Board on what the role of the CWCB should be in terms of providing technical assistance to .
interested entities in the Fountain Creek watershed.

Backl!round

History - For a number of years property owners downstream of Colorado Springs along
Fountain Creek have expressed concerns about erosion damage resulting from high flows. In
late April and early May of 1999 the region around Colorado Springs received substantial rain
for several consecutive days. In some locations total amounts of 12 to 14 inches were measured.
The rains resulted in serious flooding along Fountain Creek and then on the Arkansas River
downstream of Pueblo, the most serious flooding in many years, Some locations upstream of
Colorado Springs, both along Monument Creek and along Fountain Creek, experienced flood
damage. However, the most seyere damage occurred along Fountain Creek between Colorado
Springs and Pueblo and along the Arkansas River in and around La Junta. Along Fountain Creek
there was severe erosion damage, destroying most irrigation intake structures and bridges,
including the Pinon Bridge about 10 miles north of Pueblo.

Since the April-May 1999 flood, which resulted in a Presidential Disaster Declaration, there has
been significant pressure for "somebody to do something" about the erosion and flooding
problems on Fountain Creek. Recently the city attorneys for Colorado Springs, Fountain, and
Manitou Springs, the county attorney for El Paso County, and the attorney for the Southeastern .
Colorado Water District were sent legal claims related to damage along Fountain Creek, The
claims were filed on behalf of property owners downstream of the Colorado Springs
metropolitan area who feel the upstream entities bear some responsibility for the damage they are
suffering, Copies of these claims were forwarded to the CWCB, and the attorney for the
property owners urged the entities with which the claims were filed to seek all the technical
assistance possible, including help from the CWCB.

Fountain Creek Watershed Forum - The most visible entity involved in attempting to respond
to these problems has been the Fountain Creek Watershed Forum. The Forum is sponsored by
the two Councils of Governments in the watershed, Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments
(PP ACG) and Pueblo Area Council of Governments (P ACG). The Policy Development
Committee of the Watershed Forum includes elected officials from the counties and the
municipalities. El Paso County Commissioner Duncan Bremer and Colorado Springs City
Councilwoman Linda Barley serve as co-chairs. The Technical Advisory Committee includes
staff persons from the local governments and other governmental agencies, representatives of
interest groups and interested citizens,

The Watershed Forum is exploring ways of responding to the flooding problems including
seeking funding from other agencies. In addition, they have. been working on defining what the .
specific problems are and on creating a list of problem locations. In separate efforts the City of

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