Laserfiche WebLink
<br />~, <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />721 Centennial Building <br />1 31 3 Sherman Street <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303l 866-3441 <br />FAX: (3031866-4474 <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />To: <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board Member~ <br /> <br />From: <br /> <br />Larry Lang <br /> <br />Date: <br /> <br />August 29, 1996 <br /> <br />Subject: <br /> <br />Agenda Item 14.a., September 9-10,1996 Meeting... Buffalo Creek Flood <br />Report, Jefferson County, Colorado <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />FIRE - FLOOD? The Buffalo Creek Flood in Jefferson County on July 12, 1996 <br />demonstrated that a serious flood risk did exist because of the May 18-19, 1996 Forest <br />Fire within the drainage basin. The Jeffco fIre was not unique to the state. Colorado has <br />experienced many major wildfires. Other recent fIres occurred on June 6, 1994 on Storm <br />Mountain in this Glenwood Spring Area and the Black Tiger fIre in Boulder County, <br />Colorado. Earlier this month a large fire occurred at Mesa Verd~National Park. These <br />fires increased stormwate~noff~d debri~ and landslide proble~to downstream areas. <br />They remove v getati n~\'I'hich can increase the runoff from a give~ rain. They also can <br />form a layer ~ ,., . (~tr-resistant) soil which is essentially impermeable to <br />water. The Ry~rf~irsoil .. "r can greatly increase runoff. Such a layer did form in <br />the Buffalo Creek watershed <br /> <br />DISCUSSION <br /> <br />Following the July 12, 1996 flood event, Jefferson County, the Colorado <br />Department of Local Affairs, and Colorado Office of Emergency Management made a <br />request to the Colorado Water Conservation Board for technical assistance in the flood <br />recovery operations. The Board has responded to the request. These assistance activities <br />. are performed in cooperation with the Colorado Natural Hazards Mitigation Council, <br /> <br />Roy Romer <br />Governor <br /> <br />James S. Lochhead <br />Executive Diredor, DNR <br /> <br />OiHiesC LillO', RE. <br />Director, (WeB <br />