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<br />Introduction <br /> <br />The report has been prepared by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) at the request <br />of the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW). It provides DOW with information regarding the <br />potential for flooding from the Colorado River at 8 ponds between Grand Junction and Rifle (the <br />2 Connected Lakes, Duke Lake, 30 Road Pond, Corn Lake, Island Acres Ponds, Parachute Pond, <br />and Rifle Rest Area Pond). DOW is working cooperatively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife <br />Service to develop management strategies for all of their facilities in the Colorado River basin <br />(including these 8 facilities). The management strategies need to meet the objectives of the <br />Endangered Species Act and contribute to the recovery of 4 Endangered Species of fishes in the <br />Colorado River basin. <br /> <br />Purpose <br /> <br />The purpose of the CWCB investigation was to determine the flood risk at the 8 ponds <br />along the Colorado River in Garfield and Mesa Counties, The 8 ponds are proposed to <br />be stocked with non-native fish by DOW, The concern is that during a flood the non- <br />native fish could have access to the Colorado River, thereby posing competition and a <br />possible threat to endangered fishes in the river. The report quantifies the possibility of <br />a flood connecting the ponds with the river. The investigation that preceded the report <br />included research of existing information, field inspections of the sites, hydrologic and <br />hydraulic determinations to describe specific flood risks. <br /> <br />The quantification of flood risk should assist DOW in determining whether a plan to <br />mitigate the effects of flooding is needed for any of the ponds. The report also includes <br />an engineering evaluation to describe specific flood protection deficiencies at each pond. <br />The report goes on to provide DOW with some preliminary recommendations for flood <br />protection measures which might limit the adverse effects of a flood for each pond. <br /> <br />Organization <br /> <br />The report is divided into the following 5 sections: <br /> <br />Section 1 describes previous related studies for floodplain information wherever they are <br />available. Those studies provide hydrologic and hydraulic information that can be used <br />to describe the flood risk at a particular pond site. <br /> <br />Section 2 summarizes the hydrologic information and recent flood history for the <br />Colorado River from Connected Lakes State Park Gust downstream of the confluence with <br />the Gunnison River at Grand Junction) upstream to Rifle Rest Area Pond Gust upstream <br />of the confluence with Rifle Creek at Rifle). The flood history describes the Colorado <br />River floods of 1983, 1984, and 1993. <br /> <br />Section 3 provides general hydraulic information for the Colorado River from Connected <br />Lakes State Park upstream to Rifle Rest Area p'ond for the selected pond sites. <br /> <br />2 <br />