BOARD02040

• Board Meeting Date: 9/24/2001
• Description: Flood Section - Review Proposed Easement Guidelines
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Colorado Water Conservation Board
Flood Protection Section
Easement Guidelines for Chatfield Downstream
Channel Improvement Proj ect
July 2001 .

Back2round
The Colorado Water Conservation Board has been receiving and acting on requests for easements on
land owned by the CWCB as part ofthe Chatfield Downstream Channel Improvement Project. The
Board requested that staff develop guidelines to assist with the administration of easement requests for
the property owned by CWCB.

In the 1980s, the United States. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) constructed the Chatfield
Downstream Channel Improvernent Project (project). The Project consisted of improvements to the
flow of water in the channel of the South Platte River in Arapahoe County to provide (1) drainage (2)
flood control, and (3) water flow. As part of its participation in the Project, the CWCB currently owns
and controls approximately 7 miles on the South Platte River floodplain and Channel Lands through
Littleton, Colorado in Arapahoe County. The CWCB's management of this land is subject to the terms
of the September 7, 1977 and January 29, 1980 Agreements (Agreements) between the CWCB and the
. Corps, which obligate the CWCB to operate andm,lintain the improvements.

The Board receives easement requests from utility companies, special districts, developers, engineers,
municipalities, environmental and recreational groups and individuals. In evaluating such easement
requests, the CWCB will use the following guidelines..

Guideline considerations

1. No easement shall be granted to any party except by action of the Board in a regularly scheduled
Board Meeting.

2. The CWCB shall evaluate all easement requests in conformance with its obligations under the
Corps Agreements. No easement may interfere with flood protection and public safety.

3. For all easement requests, the CWCB shall consider impacts to its agreement with South Suburban
Parks and Recreation District (District). Exhibit A shows the management areas for the Recreation
Lands and Flood Conveyance Lands for the District and CWCB agreement.

4. Upon receipt of an easement request, the CWCB staffwill acknowledge the request by sending a
confirmation letter to the applicant, scheduling a field inspection and preparing a field report that
will be attached to the Board action.

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5. Formal Easement requests submitted to the CWCB must include: