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<br />II. INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />.~ <br /> <br />As Colorado's mountain snowpack continued to increase during the first two months of <br />1993, it became very obvious to state officials that the potential for heavy spring runoff and <br />flooding was possible. In preparation for this possibility, state agencies such as the CWCB, <br />Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the State Engineer's Office began to undertake <br />actions to address the potential threat. <br /> <br />This report will serve to 1) document the flood threat posed by the heavy snowpack, 2) <br />document the actual flood events, 3) document the actions undertaken by state and local <br />government agencies to respond to the flood threat. <br /> <br />1983 and 1984 were the last years when an abnormally high snowpack caused flooding <br />in Colorado. In 1984, 17 counties and their associated municipalities were declared eligible for <br />disaster relief under a Presidential Flood Disaster Declaration. Ultimately $31 million was made <br />available to Colorado under the declaration. Both years, long periods of warm weather in May <br />(1984) and June (1983) caused rapid melting of the high snowpack and snowmelt flooding <br />resulted on many streamcourses. In 1993 the snowpack was even higher than 1983 and 84 in <br />many basins, however, warm/cool, warm/cool, etc. weather cycles prevented extensive snowmelt <br />flooding. <br /> <br />l; <br /> <br />Following the Presidential Declaration in 1984, many local governments with assistance <br />from the CWCB and OEM began to implement post-mitigation actions which would lessen flood <br />impacts in the future. Bank stabilization projects at Paonia and Delta proved to be just the <br />answer to the flood waters of 1993. Levee rehabilitation at Redstone provided increased <br />protection from flooding this year as well. There are many such cases of post-mitigation actions <br />in western Colorado that prevented significant flood damages in 1993. Further post-mitigation <br />actions following the spring flooding in 1993 should serve to reduce flood damages in the future <br />and lessen the cost to taxpayers who ultimately pay for the unwise uses that often occur in <br />Colorado's floodplains. <br /> <br />l ~ <br /> <br />. e <br /> <br />L. <br /> <br />I; <br />L <br /> <br />2 <br />