Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Dolores River <br /> <br />FLOOD MITIGATION MEASURES <br /> <br />The Town of Dolores has already begun to take steps to <br />reduce the effects that a large flood would have on the community <br />by participating in the FEMA flood insurance program. Through <br />participation in the program, all new construction is required to <br />be built above the lOO-year flood elevation. Also, existing <br />homeowners and businesses can purchase flood insurance that <br />varies depending on the vulnerability of the property to <br />flooding. Table 2 gives a summary of the flood insurance rate <br />structure. <br /> <br />Another measure which could gr'~a'tly aid the community in <br />reducing flood losses would be a flood warning system. Flood <br />warning systems can be elaborate or simple, usually consisting of <br />one or more stream gages and one or more rain gages upstream of <br />the affected area. The idea is to give residents some advance <br />warning prior to the actual flood so 'that they can take action to <br />protect themselves, and their homes and valuables. Flood warning <br />systems need not be extremely expensive to work well. The Omaha <br />District of the Corps of Engineers has designed and built some of <br />these relatively simple, low-cost systems in other Colorado <br />communities. <br /> <br />Finally, the town should seriously consider improving to the <br />existing levee system to reduce the threat of flooding. The <br />following sections describe (in gen'~ral terms) the locations, <br />types, quantities, and costs of the needed improvements. <br /> <br />EXISTING BANK/LEVEE CONDITIONS AND l~IKELY REQUIRED IMPROVEMENTS <br /> <br />As indicated in Columns 2 and :3 of Table 1, the water- <br />surface profile did not change substantially even when full <br />consideration was given to the levee improvements. Because the <br />right bank is below the lOO-year flood elevation from cross <br />section 19 upstream, floodwaters can break out east of town and <br />do not return until they have gone through the entire town. (The <br />existing bank/levee profile is shown on Attachment 6.) <br />Downstream of cross section 19, the existing bank/levee is <br />slightl~ higher than the lOO-year water surface. Although the <br />three reaches of USBR levee are thought to be structurally sound, <br />the earthen mounds between them are not (mounds are shoml on <br />Enclosure 6 of Appendix F). Because of this, the existing mounds <br />between the levee sections could fail at any time. The resulting <br />flood depths were found to be very l3imilar under this scenario. <br /> <br />Be~ause local landowners on the left overbank do not want <br />any levee improvements, quantities or costs were developed only <br /> <br />9 <br />