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<br />III . EXISTING AND AUTHORIZED IMPROVEMENTS <br /> <br />9. CORPS OF ENGINEERS, <br /> <br />a. South Platte River basin. The Corps of Engineers has <br />constructed two flood-control projects within Metropolitan Denver <br />and has two major flood-control projects under construction. <br />Four other authorized projects are either deferred pending the <br />results of further studies or are awaiting action by local <br />interests. The existing and authorized projects are described <br />briefly in the following paragraphs. <br /> <br />(1) Cherry Creek Dam and Lake. This project was <br />completed by the Omaha District in 1953. It is located on <br />Cherry Creek, a tributary of the South Platte River, about 6 <br />miles southeast of Denver. Constructed at a Federal cost of <br />about $14,700,000, the project provides protection for Denver <br />from flash floods on Cherry Creek. The reservoir has a flood <br />storage capacity of 79,960 acre-feet. During the June 1965 <br />flood of record, the project prevented an estimated $130,000,000 <br />in flood damages. During the 1973 flood season, it prevented <br />an additional $2'7,000,000 in damages. <br /> <br />(2) Aurora local protection pro.Ject. Aurora is a <br />suburban community located at the eastern edge of Denver. In <br />the past, storm runoff carried by Westerly Creek had caused <br />substantial damage in that community. A small protection project, <br />referred to as the Kelley Road Detention Dam, wa,s constructed by <br />the Corps of Engineers; it was completed in 1954 at a Federal <br />cost of $150,000. Through 19'73, the project has prevented an <br />estimated $164,000 in flood damages. <br /> <br />(3) Chatfield Dam and Lake. The Chatfield Dam and Lake <br />was authorized for construction by the 1950 Flood Control Act. <br />Construction of the project began in mid-1967 and is scheduled <br />for completion in 1975. The dam is located on the South Platte <br />River just downstream from the mouth of Plum Creek, about 8 miles <br />south of Denver. The reservoir will have a storage capacity of <br />385,000 acre-feet, including 215,000 acre-feet for flood storage <br />and 20,000 acre-feet for sediment control. When completed, the <br />project will provide a high degree of protection for Metropolitan <br />Denver and for extensive agricultural lands downstream from the <br />city. The work will also include improvements to the South <br />Platte River channel from the dam dO'Wllstream to Denver, a distance <br />of about 8 miles. The nature of the improvemen1;s will be a <br />combination of structural and nonstructural measures. The <br /> <br />10 <br />