BOARD01332

• Board Meeting Date: 7/18/2005
• Description: Flood Section - Flood Hydrology MOU with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO

MEMORANDUM

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

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
Tom Browning, Flood Protection Program
July 11, 2005
Agenda Item 15; July 18-19, 2005 Meeting
Flood Hydrology MOU with the Federal Emergency Management Agency

Russell George
Executive Director

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Rick Brown
Acting Deputy Director

Background
The CWCB Flood Protection Program has a long history of developing and reviewing technical information related
to flood hydrology (peak flood flow values) for use in various floodplain delineation studies throughout Colorado.
The flood hydrology used in those studies is considered to be one of the key building blocks within the overall
floodplain mapping process, and its importance is generally evidenced by the relative time and cost associated with
producing accurate and reliable data.

The CWCB staff believes that hydrology models and methodologies used by practitioners in Colorado should be
regionally consistent to the extent possible (please note that the soon to be released Colorado Floodplain and
Stormwater Criteria Manual addresses this issue quite extensively). In very recent years, a significant amount of
money has been provided in the form of federal grants, combined with local and state cost share dollars, for
floodplain Map Modernization in Colorado. Oftentimes, new hydrologic analyses are made part of that
modernization effort. We believe that the new hydrologic analyses, if performed in conformance with appropriate
state and/or local criteria and reviewed and approved by CWCB staff, should be accepted by FEMA for use in FEMA
related floodplain studies and maps. This proposal would not impact the current CWCB floodplain designation and
approval process required by Statute, but rather it would enhance the CWCB's role as a technical leader and
community liaison.

Pr oDosal
The specific proposal being offered at this time is for CWCB staff to work directly with FEMA Region VIII staff to
develop an acceptable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the review and acceptance of flood
hydrology information for use in FEMA related floodplain studies and maps. This proposal is very consistent with
the FEMA Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) program that the CWCB has actively participated in for nearly five
years now. The purpose of the CTP program is to expand upon capabilities and production related to floodplain
mapping by non-FEMA partners in the industry. We are confident that the proposed MOU would certainly meet the
intent and spirit of the CTP program. Staff also believes that this concept, if implemented successfully, could be
carried forward to other key elements of the flood mapping process to boost efficiency and to augment local/state
input to FEMA products. FEMA would greatly benefit from this arrangement as well by relying on partners to help
eliminate redundant checkpoints and work efforts.

Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board authorize staff to work directly with FEMA Region VIII staff to develop reasonable
and mutually acceptable language within a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to clarify the roles and
responsibilities of reviewing and accepting flood hydrology information for use in FEMA related floodplain studies
and maps in Colorado. Staff further recommends that the Board authorize the CWCB Director to sign the MOU on
behalf of the CWCB once the MOU is finalized by staff and accepted by FEMA.

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