BOARD02497

• Board Meeting Date: 7/14/1971
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

I ;t.utJ,

MR. DOVER:

MR. STAPLETON:

MR. BORGER:

pursuing a course of getting Chatfield Dam in
operation at an early as possible moment. As
you know, with the absolutely solid front of our
congressional delegation and the people, we have
been delayed even two years longer than we
thought we would, we are now talking '72, '73,
'74 for the closing."

1

"The closing is in '73."

"Until that time none of us have any protec-
tion from another 1965 flood. Through all this
period it is my understanding and hope that we
have been working with the City of Littleton and
other people on the river. I would in fairness
like to ask why at this late stage we come up
with this proposal that may have many years of
legislative experience ahead of it before it can
work out."

"Let me preface my answer by saying to you
that the City of Littleton was very actively
involved in legislation for the Chatfield Dam.
Our then Mayo~ Thomas Heaton appeared at four
different congressional hearings in Washington
speaking in support of the dam. The City of
Littleton has always been on record as favoring
flood control on the Platte River. We feel that
some action needs to be taken to continue that
protection.

With specific response to your question of
why we come at this late date with this alter-
native, I think there are a cpuple of reasons.
One, and probably the major reason is, that it
has never been in the past conceived as a reason-
able possibility that the river could be saved.
In other words, as the plan is laid out, land I"
acquisition is being commenced or is being author-
ized for funding to a certain extent anyone such
as the City of Littleton is throwing sand in
front of the speeding locomotive to reverse the
project.

The City Council has not felt that the polit-
ical support in the community was there to