BOARD00741

• Board Meeting Date: 3/16/2004
• Description: Flood Section - 2004 Flood, Drought and Water Outlook
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO

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Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
WWW.cwcb.state.co.llS

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:
FROM:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
Larry Lang, Chief Flood Protection Program
Joe Busto, Flood Protection Program
March 04, 2004
Agenda Item 4
Flood Protection - 2004 Flood, Drought, and Water Outlook

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

DATE:
RE:

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

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Introduction
Beginning in 1995, the CWCB has been providing information to Colorado communities and interested
citizens regarding seasonal flood potential. This activity was in response to an unusually high flood threat
that existed due to a record snowpack in 1995. Outlook reports are prepared cooperatively from the
members of the Colorado Flood Task Force and are posted on the CWCB website. Additionally, any
communities within the state that have been identified as being at risk ,are emailed and/or faxed the reports
as an early warning measure. The Flood Task Force is chaired by Larry Lang of the CWCB. The meeting
summary reports have proven to be of much interest to goverrunent emergency response managers and are
linked to the CWCB web page. The first meeting of the Colorado Flood Task Force is typically mid April
but due to the low snowpack numbers has been rescheduled for May 5, 2004.

The Colorado Drought Task Force, formerly chaired by the Colorado Office of Emergency Management
and currently chaired by Brad Lundahl of the CWCB's Office of Water Conservation, meets
approximately once a month to discuss pertinent issues related to water availability in Colorado. The two
Task Forces (Flood and Drought) coordinate with each other and work in hannony.

Discussion
John Henz, a senior meteorologist with HDR Engineering Inc., has been an active member of the
Colorado Flood Task Force since 1995. John's long-term flood forecasts over the past eight years have
been of considerable value. John has been providing long-term flood and drought forecasts to clients in
Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana and Idaho since the mid 1980's. John has
been contracted by CWCB staff to utilize his expertise by providing the CWCB with an overall view of
upcoming weather patterns as well as geographically specific weather forecasts for Colorado.

Presentation
John Henz will present his projections for spring and summer 2004 weather with specific forecasts and
outlooks for precipitation, temperature, severe weather, drought and flooding conditions for major
geographic areas ofthe state.

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