FLOOD02918

• County: Denver
• Community: Denver
• Stream Name: South Platte River
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Estimation of Flood Depth-Damage Curves for Residential, Commercial and Industrial Properties in the Denver Region
• Date: 10/1/1977
• Prepared For: CWCB
• Prepared By: Wayne J. Grahm ‎(Master of Science Candidate at CSU)‎
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

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The report covers claims from October, 1975 through June, 1977. Had Cherry

Creek Dam and Chatfield Dam not been constructed, depth-damage curves over

and beyond those presented in this section would be necessary. This is

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because some major, high valued, structures lie within the flood plain of

Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. While flooding on these two

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streams can still occur, the frequency and depths of flooding have been

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greatly reduced and thus the area under the damage-frequency curve is much

smaller than before the dams were constructed. The curves that will be

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presented were not based upon structures the size of Gates Rubber or similar

structures. The author must state that the curves could be used for such

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an expensive structure, but the accuracy of the resultant damage estimate

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would be low. In such situations, damages may need to be obtained by

personal interview. The curves are based on claims to structures that are

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probably similar in value to those found upon flood plains in the Denver

region, outside of the lower Cherry Creek and South Platte River flood

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plains.

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In the non-residential structure category, the actual cash value of the

structure averaged $101,900 for a one-story structure with basement; $72,100

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for one-story structure. no basement; $119,700 for a two or more story struc-

ture with basement; and $130,700 for a two or more story stucture, no base-

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meat. This category includ~s commercial structures, light industry structures,

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warehouses, and anything else that would not be considered as residential. The

author realizes that the contents or structures of different types of non-

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residenta1 properties probably exhibit different depth-damage relationships.

While the individual claim information, upon which such relationships might

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be based. was not available to the author, it might be available to some

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