FLOOD03191

• County: Denver
• Community: All
• Stream Name: All
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Executive Order on Floodplain Management EO 11988
• Date: 5/24/1977
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: White House
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Miscellaneous

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TIlE "lHITE '!lOUSE

. STATE!~E!J'l' DY 'I'llE PRESIDENT

.

The floodplains "Ihich adj oin the 1Iation':; inland and
coa:;tal water:; have lon~ been reco~nized as havins special
values to our citizens. Tney have provided us with \':ilcllife
habitat, agricultural and forest product:;, stable ecosystem:;,
and park and recrC'ation areas, Ho;:ever, umlise use and
developme'nt of our riverine, coastal, and other floodplains
not only destroy many of the special qualities of these area:;,
but pose a severe threat to human life, health, and property.

I,

Since the adoption of a national flood control policy in
1936, the Federal Govern:;ient has invcst,)O about $10 billion
,in flood protection works. Despite s~bstantial efforts by
the Feder2.1 Government to reduce fl'JC)d hazards and protect I
floodplains, annual los:::es from fleods and adverse alteration
of floodplains continue to increase. ,

The problem arises mainly frqm unwise lhnd use practices,
The F"dl'ral Government can be responsible for or can influer.cc
these practices in the construction of projects, in the man-
agement of its own properties, in the provision of financial
or technical assistance inclUdinG support of financial insti-
tutions, wd in the uses for which its agencies issue licenses
or pl,rlr:1ts. In additjon to minir:lizinC the dancer to hU:1I"n
and non-hurr.2J1 cO","'TIunitjef; living in floodplains, act:iVr= flood-
plain rnanacerner.t represents sound business practice, by reducinG
the risk of flood damage to properties benefitinG from Federal
assistance.

Because unwise flood plain development can lead to the loss
of human and other natural resources, it is simply a bad federal
investment and should be avoided. In order to avoid to the
extent possible the long and short term adverse impacts associate
with the occupancy and modification of floodplains and to avoid
direct or indirect support of floodplain development wllerever
there is a practicable alternative, I have issued an Executive
order on Floodplain Management.

JU'li']Y CUTETI

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