BOARD01623

• Board Meeting Date: 5/20/2002
• Description: Flood Section - Technical Document Approval
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

The Flood Protection Section staff has prepared or participated in the preparation of many other types
of technical documents related to floodplain management and continues to do so. Local govemments,
federal agencies, and private entities have also prepared such documents and will do so in the future.
In the past, specific formal action by the Board was not requested by staff due to the lack of statutory
authority for such action. A sample list of other types of flood-related documents includes:

1. Stream restoration studies and watershed plans,
2. Drainage master plans,
3. Local and statewide flood hazard mitigation plans,
4. Flood waming plans,
5. Flood documentation reports,
6. Hydrology studies without floodplain delineations,
7. Guidelines, technical criteria, and standards documents,
8. Reference materials or other technical data.

The staff would now like the Board to consider the potential benefits of taking formal action regarding
some technical documents falling within the above categories, in addition to continuing designation and
approval of floodplain information reports.

Discussion
The technical information (listed above) presented in formal documents is very beneficial to
floodplain managers and community administrators. Staff finds that these technical documents should
receive CWCB formal approval. In order for staff to bring technical documents to the Board for
approval, the State Statutes would need to be amended. Staff would work closely with the Attorney
General's Office if the Board requests staffto proceed with this proposal.

Purpose of Suggested Formal Action by CWCB
Essentially staff is requesting that the Board consider the concept of "blessing" technical documents
through a formal action that is somewhat similar to the current designation and approval of floodplain
information reports. Specific statutory authority would need to be added in the future for such action to
take place. The Board, as requested by local govemments, sponsoring agencies, and/or CWCB staff,
could take formal approval action for a particular document. Tbree goals of the suggested Board action
are:
. Acknowledgement by the Board that a particular document identifies the appropriate issues,
concems and unique circumstances; identifies the appropriate causes of any problems; and
identifies the appropriate altemative strategies to address the problems identified;
. Affirmation that a particular document has been prepared in conformance with appropriate and
accepted technical standards and procedures; and
. Assurance to local officials and other interested parties that documents such as flood
documentation reports have been accepted and approved by the state agency having expertise and
authority in water resource matters.

Examples of Some Technical Documents Suggested for Board Action
There are several technical documents that have already been completed, which could be submitted to
the Board in the future for formal action. Examples include:
1. Roaring Fork and Fryingpan Rivers Multi-Objective Planning Project,
2. Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project,

TO' _ _ ~ T'l___L_ _L: _._ _ ~TT_L___ T'l___: _ _L T'll_._ ._:._ _ _._ ~ -n:._ _._ _:._ _ _ C'L___ _.__ _._ ~ T _1__ T'l___L_ _L: _._
-'-...LUUU- -'- ..LUU_'-LLUU - VVctU_-'- -'- ..LVJ'-'-' -'- ..LCLLHHU5 auu- -'-.LUCUH_LU5 - ..HH..eLLH auu- .'-'ct.l'-'_ -'- ..LUU_'-LLUU

2

Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning