BOARD02388

• Board Meeting Date: 3/21/2006
• Description: Flood Section - Long Term Flood and Water Availability Outlook - Presentation by John Henz
• 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.ca.lls

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

To:
From:
Date:
Re:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
Tom Browning, Chief, Flood Protection Program
March 10, 2006
Agenda Item 16 - March 21-22, 2006 CWCB Meeting
Long-term Flood and Water Availability Outlook
Presentation by John Henz, HDR Engineering Inc.

Russell George
Executive Director

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Rick Brown
Acting Deputy Director

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Introduction
Significant snowpack has accumulated in certain regions of Colorado's high country, while other portions
of the state seem to be well behind the long-term snowfall average. The 2005/2006 winter season has
proven to be an interesting one with potentially record snowfall at locations such as Steamboat Springs
and Summit County, yet very dry conditions in places like the Upper Rio Grande basin. The CWCB
provides information to Colorado communities and interested citizens regarding flooding potential and
other related issues. The CWCB's Flood Response Program is designed to address possible flood threats
in Colorado with respect to high snowmelt runoff and other precipitation conditions. Flood Outlook
reports are prepared by Staff with cooperation from the members of the Colorado Flood Task Force.
Reports are posted to the CWCB web site for public use. The first meeting of the Colorado Flood Task
Force for 2006 was held jointly with the Water Availability Task Force on March 14,2006 at the NRCS
offices in Lakewood.

Flood and Water Availability Outlook Presentation
Senior Meteorologist John Henz (HDR Engineering) is under contract to the CWCB to provide his expert
report on the long-term flood and water availability outlook for Colorado,

Mr. Henz has been an active member of the Colorado Flood Task Force since 1995. He 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. He has also provided a number of presentations to the
CWCB over the past several years during the Board's March meetings, and past feedback indicates that
his messages have been reliable and well received by interested parties.

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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