FLOOD00810

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Title: Bear Creek Flood - Colorado and Kansas
• Date: 5/14/1951
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Documentation Report

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W8.r Department

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May 15. 1945

ooncurs in tl1e reoollllUendations of' the reporting offioers. The Chief
of Engineers oonourll in the views and reo_dations of' the Board.

2. The State of Colorado is v1 tally interested in the wel-
fare lUld development of the Arkansas Ri.ver Basin. and says that so-
lutions of the inter-related problems of flood oontrol and water oon-
servation require that oonsideration be given to all the prinoipal
tributaries of the Arkaneas River in Colorado. of whioh the Huerfano
River is but One. In eaoh of the prinoipal tributaries there are
periodio floods of damaging magnitude. Reservoirs are needed on eaoh
tributary to control floods and oonserve water for irrigation pur-
poses. Suoh tributary reservoirs are neoessary. not only for the prCl"
teotion and benefit of lands and property looated along the tributary
strell.1llll, as reoognized and evaluated in the Survey, Report on Huertano
River. but they are essential. also, for the proteotion and development
of lends' and property along the main ohannel of the Arkanss.s River in
Colorado. The floods whioh damage end,threaten to destroy the highly
valuable bottom lands along the main Arkansas, R:j.ver, and the irrigation
aystema, towns and other property looated on suoh llUlds. originate in
the tributaries. and must be oontrolled by reservoirs in the tributary
valleys. '

3. It appears that. subsequent to, the preparation of the
SUl'V$y Report on Huerfano River, Colorado. the War Department, Corps
of Engineers. has reoognized the need tor investigations basin-wide in
soope, and for a broader andoollective approaoh to the problemll of
flood oontrol lUld water oonservation in the Arkansas River Ballin in
Colorado. On Maroh 6. 1945 the State of Colorado wall advised by the
Distriot Engineer. U. S. Eng:l.neer Offioe, Albuquerque, New Mexioo.
that a Review Report oovering the Arkansas River and tributaries in
Colorado wa.s in preparation in that offioe, and that said Review Re-
port will be 01' wider soope, lUld will oover the Huerf'ano River end all
other prinoipal tributaries, as well as the main A!'klUlllas River in
Colorado. In view 01' the proposed basin-wide Review Report, the State
of Colorado questions the neoesllity of presenting to Congress at this
time the pre1illlinary examination and survey report on the Huertano
River. Colorado.

4. However, in the event the War Department eleots to trans.
mit its Survey Report on Huerfano River to Congress for publioation,
the State of Colorado mullt 'disagree with its oonclusions. with respeot
to eoonomio justifioation, and objeot to its reoommendations against
lUly authorization ot possible stream improvements. The State of Colo-
re.do respeotfully reoommends that the oonolusiona and reoommendations
01' the Survey Report on the Huer1'ano River be qualified in aooordlUloe
with the lleparate and isolated oharaoter of the investigations on whioh