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<br /> <br />14 <br /> <br />PLANNING PROCESS <br />WHEN TIlE CO~PS of Engineers an- <br />nounced plans to channelize several <br />miles of the South Platte in 1969, <br />local citizens objected, fearing that <br />the. natural area would be destroyed. <br />The people of Li~tleton proposed an <br />alternative to channelization: a <br />floodplain park that would hold flood <br />waters while, providing open space <br />and wildlife habitat. 'The City of <br />Littleton proposed to acquire the <br />625-acre site and pres'erve it as open <br />space. Littleton also proposed. that <br />the Corps apply the fUl}dsit would <br />have used for channelization toward <br />acquiring the site instead. <br /> <br /> <br />The idea suggested a major change in <br />possible flood control measures lhat <br />could be funded by the Corps of <br />Engineers, more' accustomed at the <br />time to building structural projeCts <br />such as dams, flood walls and leveeS'. <br />Channelization would result in flood <br />waters moving downstream more <br />rapidly, thus increasing 'flood damage. <br />Leaving the site in open space would, <br />" <br />allow flood waters 'to overflow with- <br /> <br />out damage and slow ,th~ rush of <br />