BOARD02349

• Board Meeting Date: 5/11/1998
• Description: Flood Section - Floodplain Management Program - Status Report on the Colorado Extreme Precipitation Investigation Project
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Phase II 4. Research/Development of "Models/s" for use.
Phase III 5. Creation of data for isohyetaI maps and depth-
duration data of EP. Correlation of data with
hydrologic records (including paleo-hydrologic);
6. Peer review and endorsement by other agencies.
7. Documentation, development of the procedures for
use by practitioners.

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This proposal's recommendations was authorized and funded by Colorado Senate Bills 94-029
and 97-008.
Senate Bill 94-029 states:

Section 7. Extreme precipitation investigation - appropriation. (1) The state
engineer is hereby authorized to investigate available evidence of extreme
precipitation in the mountains of Colorado in relation to the requirements which
govern the size of spillways to enable reservoirs to safely pass large floods. The
state engineer shall evaluate the available data and recommend to the governor
and the general assembly any appropriate actions which may lead to a reduction
in the cost of dam spillway improvements, an increase in the conservation pool of
reservoirs, and increase in power generation capabilities, or other benefits, while
assuring adequate protection from flood risks.

(2) In addition to any other appropriation, there is hereby appropriated, out of
any moneys in the Colorado water conservation board construction fund not
otherwise appropriated, to the department of natural resources for allocation to
the state engineer,for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1994, the sum of one
hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary,
for the purposes as specified in subsection (1) of this section.

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Senate Bill 97-008 states:

Section 6. Continuation of the extreme precipitation study and revisions to the
NOAA atlas. (1) The Colorado water conservation board, in cooperation with the
state engineer, is hereby authorized to continue the extreme precipitation study
authorized in SB94-029 enacted at the second regular session of the fifty-ninth
general assembly, that directed the state engineer and the Colorado water
conservation board to investigate available evidence of extreme precipitation in
the mountains of Colorado to establish reasonable standards and criteria for the
design and evaluation of reservoir spillways to safely pass a design flood event.
The Colorado water conservation board is hereby authorized to contract with a
consultant or consultants to develop a state model based on the characteristics of
twenty selected storms identified in the first phase of the project to predict
extreme rainfall for any selected dr{linage basin above five thousand feet
elevation and to expend up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300, OOO) from the
Colorado water conservation construction fund for such purposes.

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